Three years ago in Qatar, a distance had opened between Mexico's national team and the supporters who followed them. The players and the fans felt like strangers to one another — a disconnect that cast a shadow over the country's footballing identity. That estrangement is now a distant memory.

With the FIFA World Cup 2026 being played on home soil, Mexico have rediscovered a bond with their supporters that seemed to have frayed beyond repair. El Tri are no longer simply a team — they have become a rallying point for national pride, and the atmosphere surrounding their campaign reflects something the country had been missing for years.

A nation reunited

The contrast with Qatar 2022 could hardly be sharper. Back then, a sense of disconnection had taken root, with supporters and players failing to find the common ground that defines a truly unified footballing nation. The criticism was real, the frustration palpable.

But competing in front of their own people has transformed the mood entirely. The roar of home crowds, the weight of expectation on familiar turf, and the energy of a country fully behind its team have reshaped the relationship between El Tri and the Mexican public.

Where Qatar felt like an exercise in endurance for supporters, this World Cup feels like a celebration — one that belongs equally to the players on the pitch and the millions watching from the stands and across the country.

What changed

The shift goes beyond results. It is rooted in a renewed sense of belonging and shared purpose. Mexican fans have embraced this tournament not merely as a sporting event but as a statement of national identity, and El Tri appear energised by that responsibility.

Playing on home soil carries a particular weight in football — the pressure is immense, but so too is the reward. For Mexico, that reward is a reconnection with supporters who had, not so long ago, felt let down by the team they love.

Whether El Tri can sustain this momentum deep into the tournament remains to be seen. But what is already clear is that the rift of Qatar 2022 has healed, and Mexico are united once more behind their team.