PACHUCA, Mexico (AP) — Mexico is hoping to showcase its soccer culture on and off the pitch with a co-host. world cup They will play against the United States and Canada next month.
Although the sport continues to grow throughout North America, it has long remained the undisputed number one sport. Mexicobecoming the first country to host the Men’s World Cup three times.
The roots of modern Mexican soccer can be traced far beyond the host city. GuadalajaraMonterrey; mexico city Visit the misty silver mining towns where British and Mexicans forged bonds in the 19th century.
British miners, primarily from Cornwall, brought the sport to Mineral del Monte (formerly known as Real del Monte). Mineral del Monte is a mountain town located approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Pachuca. mexico citythey worked at a local silver mine.
“When the miners arrived, they started playing amongst themselves during their breaks, and then they got the Mexicans involved too. It seemed strange at first, but they started playing and socializing,” said Brazil Ordaz, who teaches soccer history at the Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum in Pachuca.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, matches between England and Mexico teams were played near the Dolores Mine in what is now a parking lot. A dusty metal plaque marks this place as the birthplace of Mexican soccer.
Nearby shops are also displaying British and Mexican flags. There’s a small museum that proclaims, “Mexican football was born in a place close to heaven.” This refers to Mineral del Monte’s altitude of 2,700 meters (8,860 feet) above sea level.
Other early memorabilia, such as old mining helmets, are on display at the Soccer Hall of Fame, established in 2011 in Pachuca, 18 kilometers (11 miles) from Mineral del Monte.
The birth of organized soccer in Mexico
Rugby is the more popular sport in Cornwall, but Mexican miners “decided early on that they wanted to play soccer instead of rugby, so rugby spread,” said Sharon Schwartz, a Cornish native and historian specializing in Cornish immigration.
“The game was appealing to Mexicans because it was considered a modern, imperialistic distillation of British culture, and people wanted to emulate the British sense of fair play,” Schwartz said. “Soccer has also helped to break down ethnic, racial and class barriers and promote integration and social cohesion.”
In 1892, British engineers, engineers, and miners founded the Pachuca Football Club, earning Pachuca the enduring title of “Cuna del fútbol” (Cradle of Soccer), although several other Mexican cities dispute that claim.
“Pachuca, where the majority of the Cornish community lived, established an organized team made up of men who had belonged to the cricket club and men who had recently arrived from Cornwall,” Schwartz said. “In 1895, the Pachuca Cricket Club, Pachuca Football Club, and Velasco Cricket Club merged to form the Pachuca Athletic Club.”
Gradually this game spread throughout the country.
The Pachuca Athletic Club ceased to exist in 1922, but in 1950 it became an exclusively Mexican club and joined Mexico’s second professional division.
Cornwall’s lasting legacy
Pachuca were promoted four times and relegated three times, but did not establish themselves in the top flight until 1998. A year later, they won their first league title under coach Javier Aguirre, who is currently the coach of the Mexican national team.
Since then, the club has won six more Mexican league titles and became the only Mexican team to win the Copa Sudamericana, South America’s second largest club competition. Pachuca were runners-up in the 2024 Intercontinental Cup, but lost to Real Madrid in the final.
“Pachuca is a team that we have been through everything from the top to the bottom, up and down, but the golden era started in 1998 and they are the benchmark team in Mexican football,” Ordaz said.
Besides football, Cornish miners left another legacy in the area. It’s a Cornish pasty, which is a folded pastry stuffed with meat, potatoes, swedes, and onions. Locals tweaked the recipe, adding ingredients such as beans, jalapenos, chicken, mole, or sweet fillings such as pineapple jam or cajeta (a Mexican spread similar to dulce de leche).
Schwartz said Redruth is a sister city with Mineral del Monte, and both towns host pasty festivals in the fall.
“Along with the transmission of steam engine technology and pasty technology, the people of Cornwall are proud of the role they played in popularizing this beautiful game,” she said.
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