Zapatistas: FIFA is a Shithole, Reality in Mexico Prevails Over Frivolous, Superficial World Cup

ByElio Henríquez

This article by Elio Henríquez originally appeared in the May 24, 2026 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas. Regarding the World Cup that will be inaugurated in Mexico on June 11, Captain Marcos, of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), stated that “football, like almost everything, is caught between crime and resistance, between authoritarianism and rebellion, between business and play, between barbarism and nobility.”

In a statement, he added that “the system has turned the definition of class in football into something deadly: if in ‘professional’ matches the dispute is between television networks, snack brands and alcoholic beverages, in amateur or neighborhood football, the gravel and mud fields have become the space of struggle between organized and disorganized crime cartels (that is, between governments of different political parties and their police forces).”

He pointed out that “football prioritizes the frivolous and superficial: the beauty (or lack thereof) of the stars’ partners, the cars they drive, where they vacation, how much they earn. Down below and to the left, children will dream not of Messi’s monetary wealth, but of his dribbling skills; not of Ronaldo’s fine clothes, but of his precision in free kicks.”

“The most important thing about this World Cup will happen outside the stadiums, in the streets and in the fields, on the coasts and in the mountains, where what will be celebrated is not the spectacle, but memory and struggle, resistance and rebellion.”

Meanwhile, up on the right, perhaps they dream of being part of FIFA—that team never loses—and becoming the equivalent of financial capital in football, that is, owning the ball.”

He stated that “it is to be expected that the most important thing about this World Cup will happen outside the stadiums, in the streets and in the fields, on the coasts and in the mountains, where what will be celebrated is not the spectacle, but memory and struggle, resistance and rebellion.”

He added: “Ah, but reality cannot hide behind K-Pop, U2, and the heroes (the Lópezes, the Monreals, the Yuneses, those with the current surname) wrapped in the tricolor flag. There are the searching mothers, over there the democratic teachers, closer to home the indigenous communities displaced by organized crime, that is, by the megaprojects; in those streets the students of the Polytechnic Institute , and everywhere, the victims in the field of ‘welfare’.”

Marcos continued: “But don’t get distracted and check out the following news article: ‘Arrestan a ocho vecinos de Naucalpan por defender cancha de fut’ (“Eight residents of Naucalpan arrested for defending a soccer field,” Silvia Chávez González, correspondent, La Jornada, April 29, 2026). The article describes the residents’ opposition to the destruction of a local soccer field, the arrival of the police, and the argument of ‘the majority’ that landed them in jail. Defending a space for play, recreation, and community is a crime punishable by imprisonment.”

“This in a municipality, in a state, in a country… governed by progressivism.” The captain, if he checks the source of information for the Artificial Intelligence (AI), “will discover that it is… the Dominican Olympic Committee! If he wants to learn more about that sport, the AI ​​recommends he go to FIFA. Yes, that piece of shit FIFA, which will surely also prohibit one of the most notorious displays of disapproval, usually directed at the referee, although also at teammates or opponents.”

He recalled that “the great Roberto Fontanarrosa once said that ‘there are so-called bad words that are irreplaceable: because of their sound, their force, and their physical presence.’ And, forgive me, but ‘pusillanimous’ has none of that; rather, it sounds like a sexually transmitted disease or a progressive politician.”

“So, without any shame, let’s declare that FIFA is a shithole, period. And, since they gave Trump an award, then it’s a shithole three times over.” He emphasized that “football can try to cover up crimes, like in Argentina in 1978, but it’s also where, for example, the German, Paul Breitner, refused to play as a sign of repudiation of Videla’s Military Junta.”

“And recently, Lamine Yamal, a Catalan player for Barcelona, ​​celebrated a victory by waving the Palestinian flag. Before that, Bofo Bautista wore a ski mask after scoring a goal for Chivas in 2004 in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas.”

And, in March 2006, he added, “the ‘red and black front’, of the Atlas supporters, showed up at a meeting as adherents to the Sixth Declaration with a banner that read ‘Attacking from the Left’.

It is said that the visual artist Banksy painted a mural in a Zapatista community, with a footballer wearing a balaclava doing a ‘bicycle kick’, on a red five-pointed star, and the phrase ‘To freedom through football’.

“Obdulio Varela, captain of the Uruguayan national football team in the 1950 World Cup, gave a master class in tactics and strategy, resistance and rebellion, at the Maracanã stadium, and taught more than all the political manuals.”

He asserted that “groups of Searching Mothers are now imposing a cruel reality on the charade of a World Cup sponsored by cola, snacks and alcoholic beverages, and by the Trumpist FIFA, which pretends to give lessons in morality and good customs.”

“Regarding advertisements and photos of players, search engines are highlighting the photos of those who are absent, just as reality is imposing itself on the virtual world of the cola drink that sponsors the morning press conference.”