Despite it all, the World Cup rocks

I giddily jumped up and down and high-fived strangers at a pub as Mexican forward Julián Quiñones scored a goal in the ninth minute of the World Cup’s opening match. I sat with bated breath during Mexico’s free kicks. I once again felt the rush of community and adrenaline when Raúl Jiménez added on another goal for Mexico in the 67th minute.

Here we are again. Every four years I swear I’m not going to get invested in the World Cup hubbub and yet here I am — all in, 10 toes down in my ardent love for the beautiful game’s world stage.

Delusions fill my brain. World Cup fantasies override my everyday duties. Intrusive thoughts come to mind like, “Maybe it’s better if my beloved and woefully doomed Mexico national team gets the second seed in their group?”

If English footie fans can foolishly find it in themselves to believe that “Football’s coming home,” why can’t this Mexican Angeleno muster up the insanity to believe Mexico can take it all as co-hosts of this year’s tournament?

Fútbol fever has set in. All I can do is ride it out for the next five weeks.

But before there was excitement emanating from my being, I was loud about my criticisms of this tournament.

In a previous edition of this newsletter, I called on other countries to boycott the World Cup due to the racist and authoritarian antics of the Trump administration, highlighted by the inhumane Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that took place over the last year. The reportedly unsafe conditions that migrants face while in ICE detention add another layer of despicability.

Let’s not forget, FIFA has been accused of being a a corrupt organization that buddies up to authoritarians.

To try to protect their colleagues from immigration actions, workers, at L.A.’s World Cup site threatened to strike and made some big gains.

United Here Local 11 union workers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood — a large portion of which are Latinos — won a new contract that secured pay wages, good security, the ability to block any agency from sharing workers’ personal information and the right for union members to walk off the job without prejudice if they feel threatened by the presence of Department of Homeland Security or ICE officials at the venue.

FIFA has said it’s partnering with the governments of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the three countries in which the 39-day tournament will be played, “to enhance safety and security of all workers, staff, team members, vendors, journalists, volunteers, and spectators by mitigating potential insider threats. ... Such name checks do not constitute pre-employment checks.”

Trump officials claimed that ICE officials won’t perform raids at World Cup events — time will tell whether that’s true.

Advocates throughout Mexico have accused their government of “sportswashing,” as concerned citizens brought attention to the legions of disappeared individuals due to organized crime. Protesters also have gathered in the nation’s capital to demand safer, more equitable conditions for educators.

On top of the sportswashing behavior, FIFA has been accused of pulling a fast one on all the host cities financially. According to Smith College economic professor emeritus Andrew Zimbalist, who has consulted in Latin America through the United Nations and for several sports associations, FIFA nets all the tournament’s ticket revenue while host cities have to hope that tourism in their municipalities boosts local economies.

“I think it’s fair to say that none of [the cities] will benefit economically from [the World Cup] because they don’t get the revenue, but they get the costs, which can run well over $100 million,” Zimablist said in a recent interview.

But hypocrisy runs deep within me because I’m going to take in every moment of soccer that I can during this sporting event. I have accepted it only because I’ve also seen the joy and excitement it also brings.

As a lifelong yearner, that unbridled sense of hope is intoxicating. I think that’s why so many people are drawn to the energy of the tournament, regardless of their previous attachment to the sport.

Gathering to support your home country or your ancestors’ country or just a country that you feel some strange sense of fondness for and becoming part of a larger cause feels good.

For some, the World Cup brings about memories of touching moments with family and friends. I know plenty of father-son pairings that don’t know how to speak with each other about anything substantial, but when they gather to watch the tournament, a level of understanding and connection happens between them.

The magic of football perhaps.

The games also provide an opportunity for children of immigrants to connect with their roots and proudly tout their ancestry. That feels like an especially radical act, given the fear that has penetrated immigrant communities — especially the Latino population — over the last year in the U.S.

I wore a Mexico jersey today for the first time in years and didn’t feel any sense of anxiety. It didn’t feel like a crime to be Latino today. It felt like a badge of honor. Latino joy filled the bar where I watched the Mexico game. No fear, just vibes.

My sentiments may best be encapsulated by the words of Nico Aviña, the owner of L.A. apparel shop Espacio 1839, who recently spoke with my colleague Andrea Flores about the mixed emotions that many face when engaging with the World Cup.

“[The venue’s recent soccer-centered celebration was about] reclaiming the sport again, reminding folks that the essence of the game belongs to the people,” Aviña said. “With everything that’s going on with the World Cup, everybody’s giving FIFA credit, but I think that we need to reclaim that power. This is a people’s sport and it belongs to us.”

(Jackie Rivera / For The Times; Martina Ibáñez-Baldor / Los Angeles Times)

Check out The Times’ stellar World Cup coverage

Edson Alvarez illustration

(Ezgi Arslan / For The Times)

My colleagues have put together an awesome World Cup package to get Angelenos primed for the big tournament.

Eduard Cauich wrote a wide-ranging profile on Mexico captain Edson Álvarez that touched on criticisms the defensive midfielder has faced from the media and how he’s dealt with political noise that has preceded the tournament’s kickoff.

Andrea Flores covered how different Southern California clothing designers are putting their own spin on World Cup apparel, mixing tradition with personal flare.

Jad El Reda talked with Mexican goalkeeper legend Memo Ochoa about becoming one of only a handful of players to ever participate in six different World Cup tournaments and the legacy he’s left behind. El Reda also wrote an extensive piece about some of the fan festivals that will take place across L.A. County.

Kevin Baxter profiled team U.S. captain Christian Pulisic about the pressure of playing on the world’s biggest stage with home-field advantage. Baxter also talked with members of the 1994 U.S. men’s team about their experience being World Cup hosts 32 years ago.

Stories we read this week that we think you should read

Unless otherwise noted, stories below were published by the Los Angeles Times.

Politics and immigration

• Becerra heads toward the November election with a major edge over Hilton in governor’s race, poll shows
• Ad nauseam: How message fatigue tanked Tom Steyer’s $216-million campaign
• Democrats keep Prop. 50 promise alive through primary with momentum heading toward November
• California sues Trump administration over planned ICE facility near Gilroy
• The war front that could sink Trump’s negotiations with Iran
• Disability rights advocates protest Newsom’s proposed cuts to in-home support services
• FIFA President Gianni Infantino pleas for patience, urges people to relax amid backlash
• The Minneapolis immigration crackdown ended months ago. For children, trauma remains (AP)
• Medicaid cuts reignite clash between California health worker unions, hospitals (KFF)

World Cup Coverage

• World Cup 2026 Updates
• 2026 World Cup guide: Full TV schedule, players to watch and team breakdowns
• How the U.S., Mexico and Canada won a spirited fight to host the 2026 World Cup
• Here are five SoCal designers adding flare to fútbol fits this World Cup
• ‘Mexico 86’ is Diego Luna’s love letter to ‘the beautiful game’
• Move over, FIFA: Boyle Heights exhibit brings community back to fútbol
• World Cup referee, denied entry to U.S. because of suspected ties to terrorists, hailed in return to Somalia
• World Cup-related scams: What to know about fake websites, ticket offers and payment requests

Arts & Entertainment

• The kids are all right at the Boyle Heights Youth Fest
• Pretend you’re dead. Queer author Julián Delgado Lopera will carry you
• Sen Dog discusses new Cuba documentary, how L.A. shaped his music and being Latino in hip-hop
• Farewell to Maddy Perez, the complicated Latina baddie who dominated ‘Euphoria’
• The Tao of RaiNao

Southern California

• How Nithya Raman went from last-minute candidate to the L.A. mayor runoff
• Why the L.A. mayoral runoff is about to be a ‘knife fight’
• Spencer Pratt became a voice for L.A.’s disaffected. Where do his supporters go now?
• L.A. voters stayed with the status quo in City Hall
• Supporters cheer new L.A. County healthcare sales tax: ‘It’s a lifesaver’
• The FBI serves a search warrant at the Garden Grove chemical plant
• New evidence confirms Edison’s idle line ignited Eaton fire, lawyers say
• Mayor Karen Bass’ brother joins Palisades fire lawsuit against city of L.A.
• UC to consider reinstating SAT, ACT tests after faculty say students are deficient in math