World Cup Mexico team fans — including many who had traveled from Mexico — descended upon New York City Thursday night, transforming the streets into a sea of green, white and red as they watched their team clinch a 1-0 victory over South Korea.
From the heart of Times Square to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, supporters in El Tricolor jerseys recast some of New York City’s most iconic landmarks as makeshift grandstands for their home team, where renditions of the Mexican national anthem and shouts of “¡Viva Mexico!” echoed across the crowds. Mexican fans could also be found at watch events throughout the city in bars, restaurants, and more — often bonding with South Korea fans.
‘Making it feel like home’
In Times Square – under the glare of digital screens — hundreds of fans — some wearing sombreros and lucha libre masks — filled the busy streets, waving Mexican flags, banging on instruments, blaring air horns and blowing whistles and chanting in a pre-match gathering early Thursday evening.
“People are going crazy, and fans are buzzing,” Enrique, a fan from Mexico City, told Mexico News Daily. “The energy is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. It’s amazing to be in New York for this match.”
At the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center – home of the U.S. Open – spectators packed into the stadium to watch the match on giant screens, the clamor growing as the night went on. Organizers estimated about 4,000 people attended.
Beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, supporters with Mexican flags draped over their shoulders gathered to watch the action on large broadcast screens at a fan event set up at the Emily Warren Roebling Plaza in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Other watch parties appeared at sports bars and restaurants throughout the city. Lines of fans in team jerseys formed around various blocks as they waited to get inside — many streamed the game on their phones while they waited.
“There are so many Mexican fans in the city right now,” said Hugo, a fan who had come from Jalisco and said he’d been waiting in line for an hour to get into a viewing party. “All I see are our jersey colors. It’s really unbelievable how many fans showed up here.”
“With the amount of people here, and the fans at the stadium in Guadalajara, I really hope the team feels the love,” he said.
The match also offered a brief sense of home for fans living abroad. Valentina — who moved earlier this summer from Mexico City to Manhattan for a new job — said she’d been feeling homesick since arriving in the United States.
“It was important for me to come and support my team,” she said. “All the people and the fans being here are making it feel like home.”
She also noted that she has enjoyed sharing the atmosphere with South Korean fans.
“It’s funny because I ran into a group of South Korean fans on the subway on my way here, and they told me, ‘Today we are enemies. Tomorrow we will go back to being friends,’” she said with a smile.
Long before the match’s opening whistle was blown, the two nations had already produced unexpected moments of camaraderie between both camps. In a series of social media videos, Mexican and South Korean supporters could be seen celebrating their opening-match victories together, erupting into the iconic “Gangnam Style” dance. Other clips captured fans laughing, singing along to live DJs and making the most of the festivities.
“I’m Mexican, I’m proud to be Mexican. And my girlfriend is Korean,” Daniel said while shopping for jerseys in Queens. He chose a classic Mexico fan jersey, while his girlfriend picked out a purple South Korean kit shirt. “We’re excited to watch the game together and have some fun with the community.”
The atmosphere carried into Thursday night where Mexican and South Korean fans in the city posed for photos and videos, danced to music from their home countries and proudly waved their respective flags high. Many had bonded over the long journeys that brought them to the World Cup in the Big Apple.
Sun-young, who traveled here with her family from Seoul, said it took her 14 hours to reach New York.
“We are having so much fun dancing all day,” she said. “The Mexican fans are unlike any other fan base. They’ve welcomed us to celebrate the game with them. Win or lose, this has been an incredible experience.”
Another fan, Abril, traveled from the Mexican state of Coahuila alongside her parents to be part of the moment. Asked how she felt about Mexico’s chances of winning the World Cup, Abril responded:
Midfielder Luis Romo celebrates Thursday with his Mexico teammates during the knockout match with South Korea. (Manuel Velasquez/FIFA via Getty Images)
“We’re going to win it all,” Abril said when asked about Mexico’s chances of winning the World Cup. “It really is possible.”
On Thursday, Mexico, a cohost of this year’s Cup, became the first team to secure a spot in the tournament’s knockout stage, a decisive turnaround from its group-stage exit from the last World Cup in 2022, which ended with midfielder Luis Romo scoring Mexico’s only goal in the 50th minute.
Mexico’s Thursday win guarantees the team, affectionately nicknamed El Tri, will play at least its next two matches at home. Fans here in the U.S. insist that El Tri can continue to rely on their support, no matter the distance.
Mexico News Daily
