A country can forgive everything, except when its football is messed with. And the Mexico 1986 World Cup hid a story marked by the devotion of the protagonist Martín de la Torre (Diego Luna), but also by administrative and political maneuvers that left consequences. And that became a thorn stuck in the throat of the fans for years. Director Gabriel Ripstein takes this football passage and turns it into a political comedy in “Mexico 86” (Netflix).
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The Mexico 1986 World Cup went down in history for Maradona’s magnificent maneuver, the ‘goal of the century,’ and Argentina’s victory, but Ripstein’s film delves into the backstage power plays that made it possible for Mexico to become the host, an opportunity Colombia missed due to the country’s economic crisis and inability to meet FIFA’s demands, among other reasons. But who could refuse a Football World Cup? That’s what Martín de la Torre (Luna) wondered, an official who sneaks into the big leagues in Switzerland through improvised speeches and his incredible love for the Mexican National Team.
“The story of how Mexico got the 1986 World Cup largely reflects the idiosyncrasy of this country,” says the film’s director.
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There are films and documentaries about Mexico 86, from the official film “Heroes” to recent productions focused on Maradona and the Argentine team, but the focus has almost always been on the field and its athletes. In the Netflix film, the focus is on Martín and the feat that made him number one of the Mexican Football Federation (FEMEXFUT). The story begins on July 9, 1974, and then moves through tensions and comedic moments led by the Mexican protagonist. But it also shows the rivalry between the Mexican and American delegations fighting for the World Cup, political alliances, who called whom, and what was negotiated in boardrooms and carpeted offices while the world looked the other way.
Daniel Krauze, screenwriter of “Luis Miguel: The Series,” writes the script for this World Cup film. Both he and Ripstein thought of Diego Luna from the start. The Mexican actor and director set a trend with his lead role in “Andor” (Star Wars) and, these days, the ovation for his new film, “Ashes in the Mouth,” at the Cannes Film Festival. “Everyone knows Diego is a football fanatic to the max,” said the director of “Mexico 86,” referring to a slang term for football enthusiasts. “He is a frustrated footballer, but he is also a man very aware of the country he comes from, so he understands the political part of the film very well,” Ripstein said.
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Amid so many flags, the film also reserves space for intimacy, familiarity, and romance with the participation of Mexican actress Karla Souza as Susana, Martín’s neighbor and lover. This female character does not depend on a husband, as few women did at that time. Over time, she becomes an accomplice and advisor to the FEMEXFUT leader. Together they provide the romantic comedy gesture of the film.
The rest of the cast completes the map of powers surrounding the 1986 World Cup. Daniel Giménez Cacho plays Emilio Azcárraga Milmo, owner of Mexico’s most powerful television company, and Álvaro Guerrero plays Caedo, a member of the organizing committee of the 1970 World Cup, representing the federation’s most traditional administrative hand.
The creators insist that the film departs from reality. Thus, other popular figures appear, such as footballer Hugo Sánchez, played by Memo Villegas, who fulfills the dream of many Mexicans who called out his name for this role. Finally, social media users highlighted the portrayal of José Ramón Fernández, an emblem of sports journalism in Mexico, embodied on screen by his son Juan Pablo. A film that promises to be among the most watched on Netflix.
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