By Angelica Medina
MEXICO CITY, March 15 (Reuters) – Thousands of Mexicans packed the heart of their capital on Sunday to kick, pass and celebrate their way into the record books, turning one of the world’s most iconic public squares into the largest football class ever recorded.
Mexico City’s Zocalo — a vast stone plaza that has witnessed revolutions, earthquakes and papal visits — had 9,500 people gather to take part in a roughly 40-minute mass training session that shattered the previous Guinness World Record, set in Seattle with 1,038 participants.
“We registered 9,500 people today, so I have the fortune of telling you that as of now, you are ‘officially amazing’, congratulations,” Guinness World Records judge Alfredo Arista said at the end of the class.
“Today we broke this great Guinness World Record, more than 9,000 people gathered and showed that we are capable of achieving the extraordinary and the impossible,” said Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada after receiving the award.
“With this record, the city sends a message to the world: ‘Sport, soccer, is the universal language, a language of peace that needs no translation.’ Congratulations Mexico City, today we kick off the World Cup,” she added.
The event forms part of a broader campaign dubbed the “Social World Cup”.
In the crowd were families in green, white and red jerseys, children clutching black and golden footballs, elderly neighbours stretching alongside professional coaches as instructors led drills under a clear morning sky, with the sound of cathedral bells in the background.
Among those present on the stage were members of the Mexico women’s team that won the 1971 Women’s World Cup, an unofficial tournament held in Mexico City that drew some of the largest crowds in the history of the women’s game, as well as former male players like goalkeeper Oscar “El Conejo” Perez.
A RECORD WITH A SHADOW
However, the celebration had undertones of national tension.
“I’m excited about the World Cup, but there are a lot of political issues in the country right now,” participant Paulina Rosas told Reuters, reflecting the concerns of many Mexicans amid recent cartel violence.
Last month, the Mexican army killed Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, also known as ‘El Mencho’, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). This triggered reprisals across multiple states, bringing Guadalajara — one of the three Mexican cities hosting the World Cup — to a near standstill.
For weeks, there has been uncertainty, with President Claudia Sheinbaum even reinforcing that there will be security guarantees.
Despite this, people are still hopeful about Mexico’s third time hosting the World Cup. Co-hosted with the United States and Canada, the tournament will begin with an opening match at the Estadio Azteca on June 11.
“If we maintain this spirit, I’m sure we’ll enjoy it,” Rosas added.
That spirit was evident outside the main square, where the festive atmosphere continued. People played “cascarita”, an informal form of football around the perimeter, while many were dancing to the rhythms of a “batucada” percussion band.
“The class was pretty simple, and a lot of people here don’t even know how to play football, but that wasn’t the point, it’s about the people, the community,” said 67-year-old Pedro Garcia.
For many of those standing shoulder-to-shoulder in Zocalo on Sunday morning, it felt like a warm-up for what is to come in June.
(Additional reporting by Carlos Calvo Pacheco; Writing by Alexander VillegasEditing by Christian Radnedge)
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