LEILA FADEL, HOST:
We're just hours away from the kickoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Billions of people will be watching the world's biggest sporting event.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
You sound excited, Leila. In the opening match...
FADEL: (Laughter) 'Cause I watch all the sports.
INSKEEP: (Laughter). People will be watching. In the opening match, South Africa takes on Mexico, which is the home team. It's in Mexico City.
FADEL: NPR's Eyder Peralta joins us from Mexico City. Good morning, Eyder.
EYDER PERALTA, BYLINE: Hey. Good morning, Leila.
FADEL: So what's the scene like where you are?
PERALTA: Well, if you were here, you would be excited...
(LAUGHTER)
PERALTA: ...Because for Mexico, football is a religion.
FADEL: Yeah.
PERALTA: And over the past few weeks, it's all anyone can talk about. The whole city is plastered with billboard of Mexican players, and everyone is wearing a soccer jersey. Even the baby Jesus at the Metropolitan Cathedral...
FADEL: (Laughter).
PERALTA: ...Is wearing the whole Mexico kit, right down to the socks.
FADEL: Oh, my God.
PERALTA: It's a celebration, but it's also tense. As we said, the world is watching. And everyone who has beef with the Mexican government is out on the streets, the families of the missing, the workers of the electric company, sex workers. One of the big teachers' unions has set up a protest camp on the outskirts of the main square here. And they're threatening to take their protests to the legendary Estadio Azteca, where the opening game is being played. So today might be eventful on and off the pitch.
FADEL: OK. So things are tense there. But this is also coming at a tense time for the world, right?
PERALTA: Yeah. I mean, this is the first time a host country is welcoming a team from a country they are at war with. That's Iran, which will play in LA next week. Iran's national team was actually supposed to set up camp in Tucson, Arizona, but the U.S. basically said they weren't welcome, so they had to move their camp south of the border to Tijuana.
I was just there. And the team is holed up at a Marriott hotel. The players would only leave to go train. They didn't talk to reporters. But one of their superfans, Reza Mansoor, who is staying with the team, says they're trying not to let the war or politics affect them. But he said the team has already been put at a disadvantage.
REZA MANSOOR: We don't even know what's going to happen with these guys once they want to enter the USA. Are they going to keep them? Are they going to hassle them for, like, five hours, six, seven hours?
PERALTA: And it's not just Iran, Leila. The U.S. denied entry to an Iraqi team photographer. One of their stars was held up by U.S. immigration for hours. A Somali referee was also denied entry. One of FIFA's main campaigns stresses that football unites the world. But this is not that. Even with the host countries - Mexico, Canada and the United States - they seemed like unshakable allies. But this World Cup is coming at a time when they are trading barbs about sovereignty and President Trump is threatening to annex Canada and strike Mexico militarily.
FADEL: OK. Let's talk soccer. What's the outlook for the home teams? Who are the favorites?
PERALTA: The favorites are who you might expect, Spain, France, Portugal, England and the defending champion Argentina. The U.S. and Mexico are very likely to get out of the group stage, but it's hard to believe they'll make it much further than that. But I'm not going to say that too loudly here. Historically, the national team here has been nothing but disappointment, but this tournament has yet to start, so hope is intact. And everyone wants a miracle, for the gods to intervene and give this country a big party. And I'll be honest, Leila, I want to see that party. So I'm about to head out to one of the big watch parties, and I will be wearing my Mexico jersey.
FADEL: That's NPR's Eyder Peralta in Mexico City. Have fun.
PERALTA: Thank you, Leila. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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