The World Cup treated us to historical moments, unbelievable matches and some incredible stadiums across Mexico, Canada and the USA. It was a dream come true for me to travel around presenting games for the host broadcaster, Fox Sports, and covering the matches in Mexico was an experience I’ll never forget. The fans, stadiums, culture and atmosphere encapsulated everything the tournament is about.
I was lucky enough to see multiple matches in all three of the Mexican host cities – Guadalajara, Monterrey and of course Mexico City. Each was completely different to the other, but all had one thing in common: passionate, emotional and seriously loud Mexican fans at the very heart of them.
From the moment you landed in the country, green shirts were everywhere you looked. Men, women, kids, babies, dogs and even ducks were all wearing the jersey. Mexican players’ faces were on billboards on the street, on juice cartons and sweet packets in the shops, and there was World Cup signage around every corner. It’s a football-mad country – the atmosphere was infectious and brilliant.
I got the true taste of what football means to Mexicans by working on all of the games there with Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, who still holds the record as the country’s all-time leading goalscorer. In a nation that treats football like religion, Chicharito is revered as a god.
Around Europe I work with some of the biggest names in the game and fans get excited when they see them. Many ask for selfies, autographs, or just stop to say hi. But getting around Mexico with Hernandez was something from another planet. Peter Schmeichel was also with us, and even he said, “You never see this in England.”
Fans would chase Hernandez down and scream his name when they saw him, all desperate to get as close as possible to touch him or get his signature. Moving around the stadiums, a police escort was required to get us from A to B. I’ve never seen anything like it before, but that’s how much football means to Mexicans; it’s everything to them. Their passion was contagious and they were a true example of a 12th man for their team.
Then there were the stadiums. The Azteca is iconic. As you approached the area in Mexico City, you could see it rising up in the distance. Its bright colours stood out, yet it was imposing – old but grand. The area was gritty, which gave it an edge, and the streets were lined with taco vendors.
There aren’t many stadiums that you can walk into and feel an atmosphere, even when it’s completely empty, but the Azteca had a rare, magical feeling when you stepped inside. Fill it with thousands of Mexican supporters and the noise was indescribable. When a goal was scored, you were lucky if you weren’t completely drenched in beer! It was wild and crazy – exactly how football should be enjoyed.
When you looked around, you could picture the historical moments – Pele and Carlos Alberto, plus Diego Maradona’s Hand of God and his incredible solo goal that followed. I was there for three games, including the tournament’s opening match, and no other stadium topped it throughout my travels. It had already hosted the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals, and would have been a deserving setting for this summer’s showpiece as well.
Estadio Guadalajara was unique. It was built to almost look like a volcano, the external walls covered with grass up the sides making it appear as if the stadium was growing out from the ground, but then with a large, futuristic ring for its roof. Picturesque from the outside and spectacular within.
Monterrey was simply exquisite – the pictures don’t do it justice. The whole area surrounding the stadium is a postcard backdrop of green mountains. Not only was it a modern arena on the inside, if you were lucky enough to have a seat on one side of the stadium, there was the most stunning view of the mountains through the roof. Even in person, it didn’t look real.
After Mexico’s games, the street parties filled with thousands of fans were some of my greatest images from the World Cup. There were cars driving past and feeding passers-by with tequila out of the window, loud music blaring from bars and a party atmosphere into the early hours of the morning.
Football is deeply rooted into the culture of Mexico and the country fully embraced its role as one of this year’s hosts. They made it a special, unforgettable experience.