Mexico's Israel Reyes calls on fans for support ahead of World Cup opener

The Mexican national football team is brimming with anticipation as they prepare to make their 2026 World Cup debut against South Africa at the Estadio Ciudad de México, formerly known as the Estadio Azteca. Lateral Israel Reyes, who will be participating in his first World Cup, shared the team's palpable excitement. "There is a lot of excitement from us, there is a lot of effusiveness and emotion. You can already feel that tension and emotion in the locker room and on the field, all of that that is new for many, like for me. I'm already eager for it to start," Reyes stated. He highlighted that beyond the nerves, the team shares a strong desire to see the 85,000 spectators at the stadium rally behind the Mexican team as they aim to make history in the tournament. Reyes specifically called on the fans to be the "12th player," emphasizing their crucial role in the team's performance. "I want to believe that on June 11th we will all be together, it will be something important for us to feel our people, it is something we have always mentioned, it is something very important... that 12th player that can weigh a lot on the field. We trust that the people will make our home-field advantage felt. There is no other opening match," Reyes asserted. The team, under coach Javier Aguirre, understands the immense global attention they will receive and the importance of starting strong in their opening match.

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There is a lot of excitement from us, there is a lot of effusiveness and emotion. You can already feel that tension and emotion in the locker room and on the field, all of that that is new for many, like for me. I'm already eager for it to start.