With 104 high stakes matches played in three different countries, a high demand was inevitable. But the half a billion ticket requests that have poured in far exceed expectations, says Jurgen Mainka, director of the FIFA Office in Mexico: "I haven’t seen this in any other event, product, service or industry.”
(Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro.com)
Mexico is in the grip of World Cup fever as an unprecedented 500 million ticket requests have poured in for the 104 matches to be played across Mexico, the United States and Canada.
Jurgen Mainka, director of the FIFA Office in Mexico, called the level of interest unlike anything seen before. Games in Mexico will be played in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey starting June 11.
Representatives of the federal and Mexico City governments, along with the 16 borough heads, met earlier this month to go over preparations for the World Cup events in Mexico City in June and July. (Clara Brugada)
“There are 500 million tickets [requested],” he noted. “If we had 500 million tickets today, we could sell 500 million tickets. I haven’t seen this in any other event, product, service or industry.”
In actuality, “only” 6 million tickets are available for all 104 tournament matches in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada from June 11 through the June 19 finale at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
In total, Mexico City will host five matches: three in the group stage, one in the round of 32 and one in the round of 16 (leading into the quarterfinals).
Guadalajara — or, more accurately, Estadio Akron in adjacent Zapopan, Jalisco — will host four matches, all in the group stage, including one on the first day, June 11, between South Korea and a to-be-determined qualifier (Denmark, Ireland, North Macedonia or the Czech Republic).
Monterrey’s Estadio BBVA will also host four matches, starting with Tunisia against either Ukraine, Sweden, Poland or Albania on June 14 and finishing with a round-of-32 match on June 29.
Ticket applications were submitted between Dec. 11 and Jan. 13, averaging 15 million per day, according to the newspaper El Informador and other media outlets. FIFA President Gianni Infantino credited fans worldwide for the “extraordinary response,” but he also had to address global backlash over high ticket prices.
The Mexico vs. South Africa opening match in Mexico City ranked among the five most requested games globally, a list topped by the June 27 Portugal-Colombia match in Miami and the July 19 final. Another game in Mexico — Mexico vs. South Korea in Zapopan on June 18 — also landed near the top.
Mainka said FIFA and Mexico’s Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco) are building a new digital platform to ensure transparent, lawful ticket sales and limit scalping in the secondary market.
Profeco and FIFA say ticket allocations will be finalized in February.
The first ticket to the opening match was presented by Infantino to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at a ceremony five months ago. Sheinbaum said she planned to give the ticket “to a young girl who likes soccer and wouldn’t [otherwise] have an opportunity” to attend the opening game.
The domestic tourism market in Mexico saw essentially flat-line growth in 2025 after a decline in 2024, according to data published by the Tourism Ministry (Sectur).
Experts say this trend could be explained by a weakening economy and loss of household purchasing power, inflation in tourism goods and services (hotels, transportation, food) and security problems in some destinations and on some roads.
In an advisory released Monday, Sectur disputed an article published Sunday in the newspaper El Universal that claimed hotels received 100,000 fewer Mexican tourists between January and October 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
However, Sectur’s own data confirms El Universal’s reporting. According to the ministry’s official DataTur report for October 2025, there were 52.7 million domestic hotel stays between January and October 2025 — 100,000 fewer than the 52.8 million registered during the same period in 2024. This contradicts the agency’s advisory, which claimed 63.09 million domestic tourists for January-October 2025 compared to 62.64 million in 2024.
The discrepancy raises questions about how Sectur is calculating domestic tourism figures. The ministry’s preliminary calculations for January-November also appear inflated, citing 69.58 million in 2025 versus 69.17 million in 2024, figures that don’t align with the trend shown in the official monthly reports (find them here).
Looking at the full year 2024, DataTur recorded 62.9 million domestic hotel stays, down from 65.2 million in 2023 — a decline of 3.5% or 2.3 million fewer domestic tourists. If the January-October 2025 trend holds, with 52.7 million domestic hotel stays versus 52.8 million in the same period of 2024, the full year 2025 would show essentially flat performance at best, representing a modest stabilization after 2024’s decline but remaining well below 2023 levels.
Sectur emphasized in its advisory that traditional hotel occupancy rates don’t constitute the only indicator of tourism activity. The ministry noted that the rise and consolidation of digital accommodation platforms has transformed the sector’s dynamics, capturing a significant market share that must be considered for a comprehensive analysis of tourism activity in the country.
In terms of destinations, Cancún, Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta led in reservation numbers, solidifying their positions as anchor destinations for leisure and urban tourism. Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mérida followed thanks to an offering that attracted business tourism, events and weekend getaways, broadening their appeal to a wider range of travelers.
Meanwhile, the United States remained the main driver of international tourism for Mexicans, with cities like Las Vegas, New York and Orlando topping the list of preferences.
Across the pond, Madrid came in as the most visited European destination for Mexican travelers, while the Caribbean and South America gained significant ground.
Within this trend, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and Cartagena de Indias and Bogotá, in Colombia, stood out for their growth in reservations during 2025.
New World screwworms are the larvae of a species of blowfly. Authorities suspect that its spread is not just from movement of infected cattle but also from the natural migration of the flies themselves. (Texas Department of Agriculture)
A recent surge in New World screwworm (NWS) infestations near Mexico’s northern border is causing concern in Texas where authorities are warning livestock producers to take preventive action immediately.
At the same time, Mexican authorities expressed alarm after the death of a howler monkey, an endangered species, was linked to a larval infestation on its left forelimb.
The incident, which occurred in Palenque, Chiapas, was the first death in Mexico of a wild animal from myiasis caused by NWS. Until now, only four cases of screwworm in wild birds and captive exotic animals were known, all in Tabasco and Yucatán, and all reportedly recovered after medical treatment.
NWS is a species of parasitic blowfly whose larvae burrow into open wounds and eat the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. It has been steadily moving north from Central America over the past 16 months, putting the U.S. cattle industry on alert.
Mexico’s National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality (Senasica) announced last week that the border state of Tamaulipas has reported 11 active cases of myiasis caused by NWS in cattle since the first case was detected there on Dec. 31, 2025. The initial case was identified as a six-day-old calf in a grazing area with an umbilical lesion.
The spike in cases confirmed by Senasica prompted Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to urge Texas livestock producers, especially those along the border, to check livestock every day and treat any wound as a potential entry point.
“Pay close attention to navels on young animals, isolate anything suspicious and report concerns without delay,” Miller said. “Early detection and aggressive surveillance are how we protect Texas livestock. Texas producers need to stay on high alert along our border.”
The TDA said that, as it has not received confirmation that the affected animals reported by Senasica have a history of movement outside Tamaulipas, the pest may now be spreading naturally rather than being introduced through animal movement.
The New World screwworm (NWS) has been steadily moving north from Central America since last year, putting the U.S. cattle industry on high alert. (Isabel Mateos Hinojosa/Cuartoscuro)
The agency reported that as of Jan. 7, there were 692 active cases of NWS in 13 Mexican states. Chiapas leads with 137 cases, followed by Oaxaca with 134, Veracruz 117, Guerrero 65 and Quintana Roo 46.
Of the total active cases, 343 are in cattle and 184 in dogs, while 45 pigs, 28 horses, 13 sheep, six goats, five cats and one farm bird are also infected.
The cave’s mineral conditions fostered an exceptional fossilization process, allowing the remains to be preserved in a remarkable state, uncommon in this type of environment. (Facebook)
The Huasteca Potosina, that lush region in the eastern part of San Luis Potosí state, best known as an ecotourism and cultural cauldron dating to pre-Columbian times, is becoming a paleontological paradise as the repository of one of the most significant fossil finds of the century.
The accidental discovery of more than 750 fossilized bones of Ice Age-era megafauna — mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, giant ground sloths and various horse species that disappeared from the Americas before the Spanish arrived with modern breeds — was first revealed more than a year ago. It was the subject of a detailed article in MND last April, which can be read here.
More recently, however, the find has burst into the public limelight after Luis Espinasa, a biologist from the Marist University in New York and graduate of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), briefed the media on what he called “the largest paleontological deposit identified so far in the Huasteca Potosina region.”
If all goes according to plan, part of the collection will be housed locally in the Huasteco Regional Museum AC, located in Ciudad Valles, the Huasteca’s major city. The rest will remain in the Institute of Geology of the UNAM, where specialized analyses will continue.
According to Espinasa, budget limitations are hampering the full scientific potential of the discovery. Of the 750 bones found, only five have been dated using carbon-14 testing, with results showing the oldest specimen — a saber-toothed tiger — dates back 30,000 years, while the most recent, a bison, is 8,000 years old. The research team is now seeking sponsors to finance pending scientific analyses, including ancient DNA extraction from key specimens like the giant ground sloth, bears, saber-toothed cats and dire wolves.
For safety reasons related to bats, potentially dangerous fungi and steep drops, the exact location of the cave hasn’t been revealed. The site has legal protection and authorization from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
According to Espinasa, the exploration was originally intended to study blind cavefish, a species adapted to subterranean ecosystems. However, during the expedition, the team located numerous bone fragments that did not belong to present-day fauna.
Espinasa explained that the cave’s mineral conditions fostered an exceptional fossilization process, allowing the remains to be preserved in a remarkable state, uncommon in this type of environment. He added that the discovery will bring more insight into the food chains that existed in the region during the Pleistocene era.
This is not the first time Ice Age-era fossils have been found in San Luis Potosí. In 2015, scientists in Cedral, a small municipality not in the Huasteca but in the dryer altiplano region north of the state capital of San Luis Potosí, found bones of a mammoth and other animals in what was an ancient basin with springs where they had become trapped.
Sparkling cider in Mexico is perfect not only on New Year's Eve, but for most any occasion. (Gobierno de Mexico)
Cider is an ancient beverage. Its origin is uncertain, but there are records dating back more than 3,000 years that speak of a similar beverage made in Asia, where apples are endemic. Fermenting is as old as man himself. The earliest fermented drinks were made with fruit or cereals and complemented with the addition of spices or honey. Little by little, humans selected the handful of raw materials that would lead to the invention of beer, wine and fermented beverages.
In the case of cider, there is evidence of ancient production methods that included apples and other fruits. The closest historical reference, already distinguishing the almost exclusive use of apples, comes from the Romans, who called it sikera, which became sidra in Spanish, and spread throughout Europe during the campaigns of the Roman Empire.
How cider arrived in Mexico
Sidra San Francisco’s Andrea Martínez Castillo García offers a taste of its hard cider in the Cholula, Puebla store. (Joseph Sorrentino)
Cider was particularly important in the Celtic regions of western Europe. However, it was the Asturian and Basque peoples who became among the most famous producers on the content, although British production and consumption remains higher. To this day, Northern Spain is considered one of the best cider-producing regions in Europe, and several very important regional festivals, such as the one in Nava in July and the one in Gijón in August, celebrate the annual cider production with competitions and public tastings.
Cider arrived in Mexico with the Spanish. The first ships to arrive in the Americas already had drinks such as cider, brandy and wine on board. Once apples started to be cultivated in the Americas, local production began on the continent.
The drink was first consumed solely by Europeans, but soon became popular with locals as well. There are substantial differences between European cider and Mexican cider, starting with the type of apples used. There are currently more than 70 types used in production. Production and serving methods vary. In Spain, it is common to pour cider from a bottle placed high above your glass. Carbonated or sparkling cider, first produced during the 19th century, is now the most popular in Mexico.
Where cider is made in Mexico
Little by little, cider became a staple on Mexican tables, mainly for festive events. It is customary for cider to be present during the end-of-the-year holidays, during the Christmas period, especially on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, for the traditional midnight toast. There are other drinks, which are more representative in other parts of the world, such as Champagne or other sparkling wines, but in Mexico, cider is a must.
Production is concentrated in three states — Tlaxcala, Hidalgo and Puebla — with the latter playing the leading role in terms of quantity and quality.
The Zacatlán municipality in Puebla is renowned for its high production levels and is even called Zacatlán de las manzanas (Zacatlán of the Apples), but it is a smaller municipality, Huejotzingo, that has attracted attention in recent years.
Its volcanic soil produces exceptional fruit, its production is the largest in the state, and its uniqueness has earned it a Geographical Indication (GI)designation.
A few months ago, the Mexican Institute of Intellectual Property (IMPI), the body that grants these designations in Mexico, awarded the category of Geographical Indication (GI) to the cider produced in Huejotzingo, Puebla.
Making cider in Puebla
This has been very well received by local producers. Apples here are mainly grown in the Iztla-Popo region, which gives them special characteristics, as this type of soil provides minerality to the crops grown there.
Four hundred families are involved in the production of cider and will benefit from this recognition. Their production represents 85% of the national annual production.
Geographical Indications or Designations of Origin are a way of safeguarding the quality and tradition of unique regional products. Whether in terms of the product itself, the traditional methods used, or the location where they originate. In Mexico, the Made in Mexico label, Designations of Origin, and Geographical Indications are becoming increasingly common as a way of recognizing and safeguarding the making and location of unique products.
Other cider-producing locales in Mexico
It should be noted that there are projects that are beginning to produce more artisanal ciders, such as Altos Norte, a winery from Jalisco that has quickly made a name for itself in the market thanks to the quality of its wines. Today, they are adding a cider to their portfolio. The apples are sourced from Puebla, and the cider is produced at their winery located in the Altos de Jalisco region. I recommend you don’t miss the following article, where we have a pleasant conversation with the owners and winemakers.
Casa Vigas de Arteaga has been producing high-quality hard cider in Coahuila since 1935. (Casa Vigas de Arteaga)
And to conclude my recommendation, a cider from another state in the north of the country, Coahuila, Casa Vigas de Arteaga, has been producing high-quality cider since 1935, packaged in a practical 355 milliliter size with a screw cap so you can open and enjoy it at any time.
Markets and occasions
Today, cider has become common around the world. By definition, it must be made mainly from apples, although in some places, such as France, it may contain a smaller percentage of pears. It is available year-round and can be enjoyed as an aperitif or with desserts. It has antioxidant and digestive properties, and its alcohol content ranges from 4% to 12%, making it an easy drink to consume.
Global consumption has been on the rise, with Argentina and Mexico leading in production and consumption in the Americas. In a few years, we will surely see it on many more occasions than just New Year’s Eve parties. Globally, France is the largest producer and the United Kingdom the largest consumer, although Asia is a market that has also grown significantly in recent years.
Diana Serratos studied at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and UNCUYO in Mendoza, Argentina, where she lived for over 15 years. She specializes in wines and beverages, teaching aspiring sommeliers at several universities. She conducts courses, tastings and specialized training.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus with students at the Regional Mariachi School in Cocula. (Instagram)
This year, Jalisco will become the first state in Mexico to offer a degree in Mexican Regional Music, specifically mariachi, as part of a strategy seeking to strengthen the state’s cultural heritage and preserve the musical genre that was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2011.
In an announcement made at the Regional Mariachi School in the town of Cocula, Governor Pablo Lemus said the new academic degree intends to honor Jalisco’s status as the cradle of Mexicanidad (Mexicanity), with mariachi representing a cornerstone of the country’s cultural and historical identity.
Jalisco announces a degree in mariachi music
The Regional Mariachi School will offer a bachelor’s degree program, but will also offer a curriculum for students as young as 8 years old. (Instagram)
“Here at this mariachi school, we’re going to certify the first-ever bachelor’s degree in mariachi,” Lemus said amid live mariachi music played by students. “Because mariachi comes from Cocula!”
Cocula is widely accepted as the cradle of the mariachi tradition — which has given rise to the popular saying “De Cocula es el mariachi” (Mariachi comes from Cocula), which Lemus repeated in his announcement. The genre originated in the late 19th century and rapidly grew to become a staple of Mexico’s traditions.
The academic degree is part of a larger effort by the state to strengthen this genre, which includes a renovation project to beautify the school, provisions for new musical instruments for students, and promotional initiatives designed to get more children and young people interested in mariachi in order to preserve its legacy.
Preserving an authentic Mexican tradition
In a separate announcement, Jalisco’s Culture Minister Gerardo Asencio said that this degree “reinforces the state’s leadership in traditions that represent an entire country.”
“We’ve designed this program as a response to our interest in safeguarding the traditions that make us all very proud,” Asencio said in a video shared on his social media channels. “Knowledge that was previously transmitted orally will now have academic backing for posterity,” he stated.
The Regional Mariachi School is located in a historic building that previously served as a primary school. Classes are held in the afternoons, and until last summer, it had around 160 students. While most students are from Cocula, many others travel from nearby municipalities such as Tecolotlán or San Martín Hidalgo to study there.
What the Regional Mariachi School teaches
The most popular instruments at the Regional Mariachi School are the guitar and violin. (Instagram)
The curriculum includes instruction for choral groups, vocal ensembles, a children’s choir and instruction in music theory.
Students aged eight and above can enroll. The most popular musical instruction is in guitar and the violin.
In addition to operating as a school, the facility offers areas for established mariachis to rehearse. Located just a few steps away from the main plaza, passersby can hear live mariachi music drifting out from the school every morning and afternoon.
An impression of what the potential new cable car service would look like... if this was real.
MEXICO CITY — Aiming to solve what officials delicately called “a minor enthusiasm deficit,” the federal government announced Wednesday that the Tren Maya — the multi‑billion‑dollar rail project promoted as the crown jewel of Mexican infrastructure — will soon be replaced by an enormous aerial cable car system stretching across the Yucatán Peninsula.
Officials described the project as a “logical next step” after noticing that, on most days, the train’s 1,500 kilometers of track were primarily used by a rotating cast of two tourists, a mango vendor, and at least one enthusiastic influencer filming a “solo jungle commute” vlog.
The new Teleférico Maya will reportedly stretch across five states, eight ecosystems, and approximately four billion bureaucracy forms. Engineers describe it as a “sustainable aerial ribbon of progress,” though sources confirm that 40 percent of it will be conveniently “under repair” before it opens.
Asked about the environmental impact, officials emphasized the project’s “minimal footprint,” noting that “it only requires cutting down a few trees for support towers, which is still fewer than last time.”
Sources confirmed that preliminary surveys already showed increased public interest—though most respondents believed the project was satire.
At press time, the Secretariat of Tourism unveiled plans to market the new ride as “the most Instagrammable infrastructure project in Latin America,” emphasizing that while it won’t connect Mayan cities by rail, it will offer “unparalleled views of all the archaeological sites we definitely didn’t disturb.”
The Great Danta Pyramid, a monumental architectural achievement in the Preclassic Maya city of El Mirador, still towers over Guatemala's Petén jungle. (Dennis G. Jarvis/Wikimedia Commons)
As part of an exploration into Mexico’s long and rich history, Mexico News Daily has teamed up with one of the country’s top Maya experts to examine the ancient world that flourished across Mesoamerica.
What we know today as the “Maya area” of Central America encompasses parts of present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador — a region popularly called “Mesoamerica.” However, it’s important to note that this is a modern interpretation, and the people who lived there centuries ago definitely did not see things the same way.
The geography of Maya precontact cultures — those that existed before the arrival of the Spanish — is historically divided into three zones: the Northern Lowlands, which cover basically the entirety of the Yucatán Peninsula; the Southern Lowlands, spanning modern-day Chiapas and Tabasco, as well as parts of Guatemala and Honduras; and the Highlands. Mexico’s Maya populations were mostly found in the Highlands, while the Lowlands were occupied by what we now consider to be groups in Guatemala and Belize.
The first Maya peoples
“Naia” was an early Mesoamerican whose skeleton was discovered in 2007 on the Yucatán Peninsula. She is believed to be about 13,000 years old. (Northwestern University)
According to current research, the first people to inhabit this territory did so during the Holocene period, around 10,000 B.C. — the current geological era that began after the last Ice Age. One of the most famous finds from this period is the skeleton of a young woman nicknamed Naia, discovered in 2007 in the submerged cave of Hoyo Negro in Quintana Roo, Mexico. She is believed to be about 13,000 years old. Stone tools, along with rock shelters containing cave paintings, are among the other evidence pointing to an early human presence in the region.
Only with the domestication of the ancestor of maize — teosinte — around 5,000 B.C., and the appearance of the first distinct ceramic groups in the archaeological record, is it possible to trace the emergence of settled communities throughout the Maya area. Specialization in ceramic production and the development of distinct regional manufacturing traditions reveal not just the beginnings of sedentary life but also the rise of long-distance cultural and commercial networks.
Societies in the Maya Lowlands
During what is known as the Middle Preclassic period, roughly 1,000-450 B.C., monumental architectural complexes with large platforms appeared in the Maya Lowlands, especially in the Southern Lowlands. Initially built of earth, these platforms were gradually replaced by stone buildings. Among them are the so-called E-Groups — distinctive architectural complexes likely used for astronomical observation and commemoration. These massive pyramidal structures were crowned by three temples: a central one flanked by two smaller shrines.
At the same time, the earliest stone sculptures appear in the form of carved stelae and associated altars. Ceramic figurines with varied facial features and clothing, as well as burials accompanied by different types of offerings, all point to emerging social hierarchies that would fully crystallize in the Late Preclassic period.
This era, spanning roughly 450 B.C. to A.D. 250, marks the transition of settlements into fully urban, state-level societies with pronounced social differentiation. The earliest known examples of Maya writing, such as those from San Bartolo in Guatemala, date to this period. In the Petén region — on both the Mexican and Guatemalan sides — and the adjoining area of Belize in the Southern Lowlands, early cities such as Nakbé, Cival, Cahal Pech and El Mirador began experiencing significant growth.
The great city of El Mirador
Carved stone relief from the Maya city of El Mirador in Guatemala during the Preclassic period. (Konjiki1/Wikimedia Commons)
El Mirador lies in the Guatemalan Petén, north of the Maya Biosphere Reserve, within the area known as the El Mirador Basin. Hundreds of pre‑Hispanic settlements of varying size have been documented there, including Tintal, Xulnal, Balamnal, Nakbé and others. Throughout the basin, E‑Groups and large triadic pyramidal complexes — classic architectural markers of the Preclassic period — stand out.
El Mirador was first identified in the early 20th century during expeditions led by the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Since the 1980s, it has been the focus of ongoing archaeological projects directed by Dr. Richard Hansen. Occupied since the earliest phases of the Preclassic, the site reached its peak in the Late Preclassic, when both its population and monumental architecture expanded dramatically. Some buildings, such as the great Danta pyramid, exceed 70 meters in height — roughly equivalent to a 23-story building.
A well-organized and connected metropolis
Such monumental architecture in El Mirador implies strong control over population, ritual life and cosmological symbolism, likely exercised by a ruling elite. This group would also have overseen production systems and the circulation of goods, including water and a range of commodities from basic necessities to luxury items. Excavations by Hansen’s team have revealed a network of sacbeob, or “white roads” — true pre-Hispanic highways connecting El Mirador with both nearby and distant areas.
In the first case are roads leading to what have been interpreted as suburbs or neighborhoods near the political-ceremonial core, where obsidian artifacts were produced for later redistribution. Longer sacbeob linked El Mirador to other political centers such as Tintal, about 24 kilometers to the south, and Nakbé, about 14 kilometers to the southeast. The existence of these causeways radiating from El Mirador has led Hansen to propose an early “dendritic” model of regional political organization, with El Mirador as the main hub of a territory that may have covered some 80 square kilometers.
For these reasons, El Mirador is regarded as the great metropolis of the Preclassic period, with an estimated peak population of around 100,000 inhabitants between roughly 200 B.C. and A.D. 150. Along the margins of the La Jarrilla bajo — a seasonally inundated depression that borders the city — terraces and raised fields were constructed, enabling intensive agriculture to supply the entire population. This production was likely controlled by a ruling class about which we still know relatively little.
Many triadic complexes at El Mirador preserve remains of monumental masks associated with symbols of power, such as tied knots or jaguar claws. The faces often blend human and animal features, and the few written records available do little to clarify the rich iconography seen in sculptures and stelae. Together, these factors complicate efforts to reconstruct the sociopolitical organization of this major pre-Hispanic city.
Nonetheless, these images likely represent early manifestations of political power, in which cosmogonic ideas are closely tied to the city’s ruling groups. This is why the monument known as the “Popol Vuh Frieze,” or “Panel of the Swimmers,” associated with a structure used to collect and redirect water, is so important. According to Hansen’s hypotheses, the scenes depicted there may allude to episodes in the “Popol Vuh,” the famous K’iche’ Maya manuscript compiled in the colonial era. If so, the images at El Mirador would demonstrate the deep historical roots of these ideological concepts.
Crisis in El Mirador
Remains of the Jaguar Paw Temple in El Mirador. (Greg Willis/Wikimedia Commons)
Around A.D. 150, El Mirador underwent a major sociopolitical crisis, probably linked in part to the intensification of building activity and exacerbated by environmental stress. Virtually all constructions — buildings, roads, monuments and so on — were coated in thick layers of white stucco and then painted in vivid colors. Because stucco erodes over time, it had to be reapplied in multiple layers. Limestone for stucco production was quarried near the site’s central sector and fired in large kilns that required enormous quantities of wood to achieve the temperatures needed to produce quicklime.
Hansen’s studies suggest that widespread deforestation and its consequences were among the key factors in El Mirador’s decline. At the same time, growing competition and political tension with other centers, such as Uaxactún and Tikal, likely contributed to the crisis.
After about A.D. 150, El Mirador’s population shrank and the construction of monumental buildings and complexes diminished drastically. Even so, the city and the basin were never completely abandoned. Archaeologists have discovered Chen Mul ceramics, characteristic of the Postclassic period (approximately A.D. 1000-1524) and the Northern Lowlands, as well as settlements with spatial patterns associated with late Kejache groups.
Despite this later occupation, the site’s decline was profound and irreversible. The once-great metropolis that had dominated the region for centuries faded into the jungle, its towering pyramids slowly consumed by vegetation. This collapse ushered in a new era that would give rise to what is known as the Classic period — a time when new centers of Maya power would emerge to fill the void left by El Mirador’s fall.
Pablo Mumary holds a doctorate in Mesoamerican studies from UNAM and currently works at the Center for Maya Studies at IIFL-UNAM as a full-time associate researcher. He specializes in the study of the lordships of the Maya Lowlands of the Classic period.
The Mexico City Capitanes have set attendance records for the NBA G League. (Capitanes CDMX/Facebook)
Arena CDMX is unlike any other professional basketball arena in the NBA’s minor league system. That’s because it’s located south of the border in Mexico City’s Azcapotzalco borough, lined with street food vendors, tianguis, police escorts and bootleg salesmen hawking unofficial NBA gear — Dennis Rodman t-shirts, Kobe Bryant jerseys, LeBron James posters, the whole nine. And yet, the fans arrive by the thousands nightly to cheer on the Mexico City Capitanes, the only Mexican-owned franchise in the NBA’s North American constellation, which spans throughout the United States and Canada, but until this decade, has never officially spanned into Mexico.
That all changed in December of 2019, when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the Capitanes — a team that had been formed just two years before to compete in Mexico’s Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP) — would be joining the G League as the 29th organization in the NBA’s second-division program. At the time, the NBA Commissioner excitedly touted the move as groundbreaking, strategically giving the NBA a Latin American basecamp from which they could expand their product’s reach and foster a love of the game in Mexico’s capital — a sports-loving city that, before the Capitanes, had been bereft of a pro hoops unit for over a decade.
Sports leagues target Mexico for new fans
CAPITANES CDMX | TEMPORADA 25-26
The team’s inclusion in the NBA signaled a major shift regarding Mexico’s viability as a business opportunity for the world’s most iconic sports brands. It highlighted new possibilities for the ways in which both U.S.-based and international sports leagues understood Mexico’s market appeal. In the past decade alone, the NFL, MLB, and F1 have all significantly expanded their efforts and made inroads in Mexico, where each league has hosted events with increasing regularity to create an ongoing presence with Mexican fans.
To date, however, only the NBA has truly doubled down on its Mexican investment by adding a fully-equipped Mexico City team. And to their credit, they have allowed the team to retain much of its Latin American spirit and identity, with the majority of its players coming from all over Latin America and within Mexico — an uncommon sight for a league that has only ever seen six players of Mexican nationality in its 79 years of existence.
Capitanes break G League attendance records
Despite navigating previously uncharted territory — which the managing director for NBA Mexico, Raul Zarraga, admitted to ESPN was “a long, difficult process” — the team has stuck around. So, with the end of their trial period approaching quicker than a mid-court fastbreak, how exactly has the team performed?
The Capitanes were contractually allotted a minimum of five years in the NBA’s ranks, originally slated to begin in 2020, but having been delayed due to COVID. Unfortunately, the setback forced the team to postpone their debut for one year, in which they would eventually relocate to Fort Worth, Texas, as their temporary home once the league resumed play in 2021. The following year, they would finally return to host their inaugural game in Mexico City in 2022, which broke G League attendance records.
Since then, Chilango fans have continued to shatter the NBA’s minor league attendance numbers, with 35,043 fans showing up for a two-game series against the South Bay Lakers (the minor league representative of the ever-popular Los Angeles Lakers) in 2024. As of this writing, the Capitanes have led the G League in quantifiable metrics like merchandise, ticket sales and fan attendance. They’re also recognized as having avid fans in the G League, often showcasing Mexico’s zealous passion (the team formerly played inside Gimnasio Olímpico Juan de la Barrera, an Olympic-era relic from 1968, before relocating to the state-of-the-art Arena CDMX on the other side of the beastly megalopolis).
Fan experience in Mexico City
Though the team’s official logo is the Monumento a la Revolución, their mascot is a giant axolotl named Juanjolote. Their jerseys are colorful and snazzy, often highlighted with traditional Mexican touches and patterns (one of their more popular kits is a limited-edition piñata-themed colorway). Combined with the modern amenities of most NBA arenas — to go along with Mexicanized in-game entertainment like mini luchadores, mariachis, Mexican celebrities sitting courtside, and more — the overall fan experience is unlike anything else in the NBA stratosphere. And that alone is of value to the league at large, which aspires to maintain a direct connection with its Spanish-speaking audience across the border.
The NBA has been taking strides to court Mexican audiences, with a number of major league games played in the capital. (Washington Wizards/X)
On the court, the team hasn’t won any championships, nor have they outright dominated the competition. Even at their best, they’ve mostly been a middle-of-the-road team in a league that constantly fluctuates due to the nature of being a farm system for the NBA (that is, players often get called up to play for the NBA’s flagship teams at various points in the year, making the G League a fluid, shifting league).
Highlighting Mexican heritage
The areas in which the team has outright succeeded is in highlighting its Mexican-heritage players: most famously, Juan Toscano-Anderson, a former NBA Champion with the Golden State Warriors who played two seasons with the Capitanes after his contract expired in the NBA’s big leagues. JTA, as he is known by fans, brought massive fanfare to the franchise during his time, helping to provide a veteran legitimacy and winning acumen to the squad for a few years and elevating their status with his gameplay and fan popularity. Outside of Mexican-blooded hoopers, there have also been recognizable NBA names like Shabazz Napier and Kenneth Faried, as well as young, talented prospects from around the world like Brazil’s Bruno Caboclo and American high schooler Dink Pate, who has openly spoken about his love for Mexico and its basketball fanatics.
Most recently, the team signed Mexican national team forward Gael Bonilla and Texcoco-born point guard Luis Andriassi to contracts, bolstering their Latino ranks. Their current General Manager, Orlando Mendez-Valdez, is a former Capitanes player himself and a Mexican American star who cut his teeth in Mexico’s pro league as a three-time champion and All-Star in the LNBP. For his part, Mendez-Valdez has assembled perhaps the most competitive Capitanes team to date.
As of this writing, the Mexico City team is on an eight game win streak with a 10-2 record, and will hope to make a dash into the postseason and reach their first NBA G League finals.
Will the Capitanes remain an NBA affiliate?
Regardless of this season’s outcome, it’s overwhelmingly clear that the Capitanes are Mexico’s favorite basketball team and are shouldering the nation’s NBA aspirations. They’ve come a long way from their amateur-like days in the LNBP, but have they done enough — both on- and off-the-court — to convince the NBA of their value? Culturally, they’ve added a priceless dimension to Mexico City’s sporting offerings. It’s yet to be seen, though, if they’ll continue to be around for future tip-offs as an NBA affiliate in the coming years. With league expansion looming, Mexico City has positioned itself as close to the rim as possible — and anything can happen.
Alan Chazaro is the author of “This Is Not a Frank Ocean Cover Album,” “Piñata Theory” and “Notes From the Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge” (Ghost City Press, 2021). He is a graduate of June Jordan’s Poetry for the People program at UC Berkeley and a former Lawrence Ferlinghetti Fellow at the University of San Francisco. His writing can be found in GQ, NPR, The Guardian, L.A. Times and more. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, he is currently based in Veracruz.
“Remember the Alamo” became a battle cry in the Texans’ struggle for independence from Mexico, but the Battle of the Alamo was, in fact, a small engagement, with fewer than 200 Texans confronting a few thousand Mexican troops. While the story of the siege is well-documented, the lead-up to the battle has largely been neglected.
The same energy that brought Hernán Cortés to the land of the Mexica also took conquistadors further north, claiming Texas and a vast area of what is now the U.S. for Spain. This remote area attracted limited European migration, and the small numbers of settlers were never able to subdue the Indigenous people as firmly as Cortés and his handful of warriors had decimated the Mexica. As late as the 1800s, there were still only approximately 3,500 settlers living in the whole of Tejas. It didn’t even merit its own governor but was a neglected northern section known as Coahuila y Tejas.
Spanish Texas becomes Mexican
Drawing of the Alamo mission in San Antonio as it looked before the battle. (Public Domain)
On the surface, little changed after Mexico gained independence in 1821, Spanish Texas simply becoming Mexican Texas. However, the region had been dependent on Spain for money, priests and manufactured goods, and Mexican independence saw the local economy shrink. Smugglers filled the gap for imported goods, and rancheros drove their cattle north to the illegal but more profitable U.S. markets.
To increase the number of settlers, Mexico encouraged migration from the U.S., and in January 1821, Moses Austin was granted permission to bring the first 1,200 families from Louisiana to Texas. Twenty of the first 23 such settlements were populated by immigrants from the U.S. These new communities tended to be self-contained, and people maintained a close affinity to the U.S. One area of conflict was the keeping of enslaved people, a practice Mexico had outlawed, but which many new colonists felt essential to their prosperity. The Mexican government, seeing itself becoming outnumbered in its own northern territory, introduced the Law of April 6, 1830, prohibiting any further immigration by U.S. citizens.
The escalation of tensions
The situation simmered until 1833, when Antonio López de Santa Anna was elected president of Mexico and abolished the Constitution of 1824. This moved Mexico towards centralism. For Americans living in Texas, it was both a cause of concern and an excuse to start dreaming of independence. In 1835, Martín Perfecto de Cos, a man related to the Mexican President by marriage, arrived in Texas with 500 soldiers to shore up Mexican rule. After several small confrontations, events blew up in the Texas town of Gonzales.
The community had been loaned a small cannon for protection against the Native Americans, and with tensions on the rise, the Mexican government sent a strong force — 100 cavalry — to reclaim their artillery piece. The soldiers arrived at the Guadalupe River to find a small group of armed Texans on the other bank. The men refused to return the cannon, and as the Mexican army searched for a crossing point, more and more men rode in to confront them. A shot was fired, and the Mexicans, now outnumbered, retreated without the cannon. Nobody realized it at the time, but the Texas Revolution had started.
The Texas Revolution
At this stage, unrest in Texas was less a political movement and more a general rumbling against taxes and central government, but buoyed by their success at Gonzales, a mob of Texans marched towards San Antonio de Béxar. The town had a population of around 2,000, mostly Spanish speakers who supported Mexican rule but were largely unpolitical and just wanted to get on with life. The community centred around the plaza and cathedral, and just one block from the center, you would find simple houses that sat on the edge of their own cultivated fields. In response to raids by the Native Americans, there were several fortified missionary buildings, including the Alamo, which was separated from the main town by the San Antonio River.
The Texans, who were described at the time as “a motley bunch of ruffians with fewer guns than men, short on powder and lead, with no heavy artillery to brag about,” made camp just outside San Antonio. At this stage, the “rebels” lacked any government or a clear list of demands. While some talked of independence, others only wished for a degree of local autonomy. Stephen Austin, a Virginia-born landowner, led a team to negotiate with General Cos.
The Battle of the Alamo involved a 12-day siege by the Mexican army. (Gobierno de Mexico)
When no arrangement could be reached, the general, under pressure from the Mexican government, and with the larger force, felt compelled to act. On an early morning in October, he led a force of around 270 men towards the Mexican camp. A small force of Texans took up a strong position on the banks of the San Antonio River and in just 30 minutes fought off three Mexican assaults, forcing the bigger army back into the town.
‘Who will go with old Ben Milan into San Antonio?’
Nothing had really changed. Cos and his army were still besieged, and the Texans were still too small in numbers to launch an assault on the town. In the Texan camp, boredom was now the greatest danger; men who were volunteers simply slipping away and going back to their farms. This was a pattern that could be expected to worsen as supplies dwindled and winter approached. The Texans were considering decamping and seeking winter billets when a Mexican deserter brought news of the situation in the town. The troop’s morale was low, he reported, and they were running short of both food and water. Colonel Ben Milan offered to lead an attack and, having been given permission to do so, called for volunteers. “Who will go with old Ben Milam into San Antonio?” was his famous cry.
After six weeks of siege and five days of house-to-house fighting, General Cos retreated from the town, crossed the bridge over the San Antonio River, and took shelter in the Alamo. When he attempted to launch a counterattack, his cavalry deserted, and Cos sued for peace. The surrender terms were generous, the Mexicans even being allowed to keep their muskets for protection as they marched away.
The Mexican army in Texas had been neutralized, and many Texans now rode home, men such as young Creed Taylor, who arrived at his mother’s log cabin with a new horse, pistols, swords and silk sashes that had once decorated a Mexican officer’s uniform. However, back in Mexico, President Santa Anna had no intention of letting the Texans secede. Transferring his presidential duties to Miguel Barragán, he gathered an army in San Luis Potosí and started the march northwards.
Mexican army on the march
It was a bitterly cold winter, the army lacked supplies, and many of the recruits, who had no military training, had to be given basic instructions on how to use a musket as they marched. There was no money to pay the civilians who worked the supply wagons, so many deserted. The decision to take the inland road, rather than work their way up the coast, meant the army was heading directly towards San Antonio, and as they marched, they met up with Cos and his retreating soldiers, who turned around and joined the column.
By now, Sam Houston was emerging as the leader of the Texan rebels, and aware that a Mexican army was gathering, he sent James Bowie to the Alamo with instructions to remove the artillery and blow up the fortification. Bowie discussed the issue with the Alamo commander, James C. Neill, and on Jan. 26, announced they would stay and defend the fort. There was, at this stage, no certainty that the Mexican army would even reach Texas, and the fort remained undermanned, under-provisioned and generally unprepared. Feb. 21st brought news that Santa Anna and the vanguard of his army had reached the banks of the Medina River, and with the Mexicans just a few days’ march away, San Antonio suddenly became a scene of hectic activity. While many civilians fled the town, the fighting men gathered supplies and herded their cattle into the Alamo.
Battle of the Alamo
The Alamo in 2009, nearly half a century after it was named a U.S. National Historical Landmark. (Daniel Schwen/Wikimedia Commons)
The exact number of men in the mission is uncertain, but it was less than 200, while the Mexicans had around 2,000 troops, with more likely to arrive in the coming days. At 10 p.m. on March 5th, the 12th day of the siege, the Mexican artillery ceased their bombardment, and the exhausted Texans fell into their cots. They were unaware that Mexican soldiers were edging up to the walls to prepare a major assault. The attack came at 5 the following morning. Musket and rifle fire from the walls, and cannons loaded with a jumble of scrap metal, took a toll on the attackers, but a combination of numbers and bravery brought the Mexican infantry into the compound. By 6:30 a.m., the battle was over, and the defenders of the Alamo lay dead.
Mexico and Texas were now committed to war and a few weeks later, the Battle of San Jacinto would end in Texas independence.
Bob Patemanis a Mexico-based historian, librarian and a life-term hasher. He is editor of On On Magazine, the international history magazine of hashing.
