Mexico opens the Gold Cup amidst the excitement and fears of its fans

▲ El Tricolor begins its tournament run today against the Dominican Republic. Photo courtesy of FMF

Alberto Aceves

La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, June 14, 2025, p. 9

When Javier Aguirre returned to national team football, Mexico was a team battered by failures in Qatar 2022 and the 2024 Copa América in the United States. Amid an institutional crisis that forced changes in the structure of the Mexican Football Federation, the former technical director of Spanish clubs such as Mallorca, Osasuna and Zaragoza took over the reins of the Tricolor and since then – August 1, 2024, the day of his presentation – has managed to shake off the dominance of the United States, a rival they had not beaten since 2019, in addition to winning the Concacaf Nations League for the first time after two lost finals.

Endorse the title

Aguirre's last major objective before coaching the 2026 World Cup is to win the Gold Cup, a tournament marked by immigration raids taking place on US soil. The Tricolor, champions in the 2023 edition, are emerging as the opponents to beat given the absence of the best players from Canada and the host team, whose coaches – Jesse Marsch and Mauricio Pochettino, respectively – prefer to turn the matches into a training ground to prepare for next year's event. " We are the champions and we want to retain the title ," El Vasco said in a press conference ahead of the match against the Dominican Republic.

Mexico's appearance at SoFi Stadium, considered the most expensive sports venue in the world, will not only open the regional competition but will also coincide with a massive march organized by thousands of citizens against the deployment of military personnel in Los Angeles, ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump, in response to resistance to his raids against undocumented immigrants.

We can't underestimate anyone. Great stories have been written in soccer, in matches where one team is seemingly far superior and another gets the night of its life. We have to play a nearly perfect match. The Dominican Republic has made spectacular progress. Until a few years ago, it lacked soccer visibility; it was all about baseball and very nice people in another sport, but they took advantage of the help from FIFA and CONCACAF to grow. I wouldn't say soccer is at the level of baseball, but it has grown a lot. You have to win by playing well, not by underestimating your opponent , he warns.

Although the political climate in the United States threatens to impact the country's next two soccer tournaments, the Gold Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup, Aguirre and the Tricolor communications team prefer to focus solely on sporting aspects. "I hope the fans feel represented ," he reiterates. "Regardless of the topic, I hope the people in the stadium go home knowing that these Mexicans are just like them, because they fight and work. We have a responsibility to bring joy to the people who come to support us ."

The legal community also urged Mexican fans to be cautious. "Please don't go to the game because we've already received notification that immigration agents will be at the event ," immigration lawyer Leslie Reyes urged on social media.

History shows it this way. We must be worthy representatives of what we showed in the last Gold Cup and the Nations League , says Lokomotiv Russia's center back, César Montes. The only way to avoid any surprises is to respect our opponents .

Organizers at CONCACAF have sought to assuage security concerns at both tournaments. The Gold Cup will be held primarily on the West Coast, from June 14 to July 6, and the Club World Cup will be held in the East, from June 14 to July 13. In a statement, the confederation said it remains in close communication with local authorities , so the safety and well-being of all participants, fans and stakeholders is the Confederation's top priority .

According to local media reports, more than 51,000 tickets (out of 70,000 available) were sold before the immigration operations began. The resale, however, reflects the current climate in the United States: tickets that would have once averaged $400 are now being offered for $100 or less than $50.

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, June 14, 2025, p. 9

On the eve of the start of the Gold Cup, in which the Mexican national team will participate, President Claudia Sheinbaum called on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to refrain from taking any action targeting migrants.

Although he expressed doubt that there could be a raid around the stadiums where the tournament will be held: We don't believe that, since there is a football match, there will be any action, or we hope there won't be .