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Mexico, where men cry... and women too
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Culture & Society

Mexico, where men cry... and women too

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Many Mexican men openly expressed grief, some in tears, following the national team's elimination from the World Cup.
  • The emotional outpouring challenged traditional notions of masculinity in Latin America.
  • The World Cup provided a temporary escape from national issues like corruption and violence.

Tears flowed freely among Mexican men in the hours following their national team's World Cup elimination, shattering the long-held machismo stereotype that "men don't cry." The collective sorrow was palpable across the country, with many men openly weeping over the loss.

One young fan, clad in the national team's jersey, expressed his anguish to EFE, saying, "We didn't deserve this, we played better. This hurts too much." He was seen embracing his girlfriend, who offered comfort in the early morning hours in the city center.

We didn't deserve this, we played better. This hurts too much.

— Young fanA young fan expressed his deep disappointment after Mexico's elimination from the World Cup.

The atmosphere in Mexico City on Monday morning was somber, reminiscent of the collective grief experienced after the devastating 2017 earthquake. While the earthquake's pain was more profound, it also united Mexicans in shared experience. This time, the unity stemmed from a shared sporting disappointment.

It was funny, I changed my English girlfriend's name to María López for 90 minutes, during which we didn't accept anything in English.

— Ana PugaAna Puga described the playful way she and her girlfriend, María Jaubert, embraced their Mexican identity during the match.

The article highlights poignant personal stories, such as that of singer María Jaubert and her girlfriend, music producer Ana Puga. Jaubert, who lived in England for years, embraced her Mexican roots by singing "Cielito Lindo" with her partner. Ana playfully renamed her girlfriend "María López" for the duration of the match, refusing to acknowledge anything in English. In the end, Jaubert's tears flowed, expressed in perfect English learned on London streets.

Juan Villoro, a renowned Spanish-speaking chronicler, once wrote that if there were a World Cup for fans, Mexico's would reach the final for giving the most for the least. This sentiment was echoed by fans who, for three weeks, lived in a bubble of happiness that momentarily overshadowed national problems like corruption, violence, and femicide. The World Cup's end, however, brought a painful return to reality.

I cry because I feel screwed, this was ours. I have run 42 kilometers several times in Mexico City, I know how hard it is to endure the altitude, imagine how it was for those guys who live almost at sea level and l

— Luis Rey Sánchez SorianoLuis Rey Sánchez Soriano explained his deep sadness and anger following Mexico's World Cup exit, comparing it to the endurance required in marathon running.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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