By Juan Larrosa, June 15, 2026
In politics, images have always been fundamental for analyzing power relations and understanding a particular historical moment. The FIFA World Cup offers a particularly revealing case: President Claudia Sheinbaum’s decision not to attend the opening ceremony.
On the one hand, there is an analysis of the non-image—that is, the president’s absence from the stadium. That absence speaks to a very particular historical moment. In another context, when international relations and geopolitics were not experiencing the same level of turbulence as today, it would have been entirely possible, and even desirable, for the presidents of the three host countries—Canada, the United States, and Mexico—to attend the opening ceremony together.
Just three decades ago, as the neoliberal architecture built around free trade agreements was consolidating, a photograph of the three leaders greeting one another from a stadium box would have carried enormous symbolic value. It would have represented regional integration, economic cooperation, and a shared vision of the future. They were known as “The Three Amigos.”
Today, the situation is different. The three countries are experiencing significant tensions. Trade agreements are being intensely renegotiated, and President Donald Trump has maintained a constant confrontational stance toward Canada and Mexico. In this context, the absence of Sheinbaum and her counterparts communicates the political distance that exists among the governments.
But the missing photograph also allows for another interpretation. From a more critical perspective toward the government, it can be seen as a way of avoiding a politically risky situation. Mexico’s collective memory still recalls Miguel de la Madrid being booed during the opening ceremony of the 1986 World Cup. In the current context, marked by economic uncertainty, security concerns, and multiple social tensions, a similar reaction would not have been surprising.
In place of the stadium image, another image emerged. The president attended one of the Fan Fest events organized in Mexico City and participated in a media session in which she made her position clear. She stated that she did not need to mingle with political elites and criticized the high price of tickets, arguing that the World Cup had become inaccessible to a large segment of the population.
That image was directed toward a different audience. It was not intended to communicate closeness to international leaders. Rather, its purpose was to reinforce a connection with the social and political base of the Fourth Transformation. It portrayed a president close to ordinary people and distant from political and economic elites.
One image and one non-image. One presence and one absence. Both communicate. Both allow us to observe the tensions of our time. And both remind us that, in politics, even what does not happen can become a powerful message.
This text was originally presented on Informativo NTR Radio, broadcast on June 15, 2026, and hosted by journalist Sonia Serrano