MEXICO CITY — Less than 10 minutes into the 2026 World Cup, more than 80,000 souls inside the Estadio Azteca began crying out the opening lines of “Cielito Lindo,” the unofficial anthem of the Mexico national team.
As if the song was supposed to trigger Mexico’s high press, Erik Lira pick-pocketed Sphephelo Sithole and Julián Quiñones pounced on the loose ball to score the opening goal of the 2026 World Cup. The roar of an ecstatic Azteca erupted before it could even finish singing Cielito Lindo’s chorus.
