By Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes, June 29, 2026
Just a few days ago, the match between Spain and Uruguay came to an end, marking the conclusion of Guadalajara’s participation as a FIFA World Cup host city. That match closed several intense weeks that included other games, among them one featuring the Mexican national team, as well as two massive concerts at La Minerva Roundabout, where Maná and Alejandro Fernández gathered hundreds of thousands of spectators. During that period, something remarkable happened: joy began to spread among those of us who live in the city.
In these radio commentaries, I addressed the World Cup in two critical columns. In one of them, I discussed the media impact of the arrest of a drug trafficker and the terrible acts of violence that took place on February 22. In another, I wrote about the negative feelings generated by living in a city preparing to host the tournament while facing serious problems of insecurity, urban development, and environmental degradation. I do not take back those criticisms, nor do I soften them. Although the problems I pointed out remain, the organization of the tournament was ultimately successful, and both the matches and the celebrations unfolded peacefully.
Nevertheless, the World Cup in Guadalajara revealed something else. I see it in people close to me and in myself. I also observed it in strangers whom I encountered on the streets, in the media, and across digital platforms. The city celebrated Mexico’s goals as it had not done in a long time, filling La Minerva first with 170,000 people to watch Maná and then with 270,000 to see Alejandro Fernández—nearly half a million attendees. In addition, the Fan Fest venues were packed.
The city exploded with joy. And how could it not? It reminded me of the first parties we attended after the years of pandemic lockdowns. Just as then, there were cheers and euphoria. How could it have been otherwise after such a traumatic event as February 22 only a few weeks earlier? How could it have been otherwise in a city, in a state, where people are—where we are—disappeared? It became a release valve, and that was evident throughout those weeks.
However, the World Cup and the concerts are far from being a profound and lasting form of collective therapy. Just as the post-pandemic celebrations led us to dance and laugh again, many people later fell into deep depression. For years, the life of the city has been shaped by violent tensions, and that will not disappear overnight. These days should remind us that public and communal life matter, and that there is still much work to be done.
Joy was in Guadalajara for a few days, for a few hours. The kind of joy that inspires collective action, that brings people into public life and encourages them to live alongside others. From that, something greater may yet emerge for the entire city.
This text was originally broadcast on NTR Radio News on June 29, 2026, hosted by journalist Sonia Serrano.