Reporter: Adda Avendaño / Photographer: Javier González
The FIFA World Cup 2026 provides an opportunity to analyze complex phenomena related to social identity and economic development
When watching a soccer match, the frontal lobe—responsible for reasoning—temporarily disengages, while the emotional system becomes activated, explains Dr. Gerardo Leija Alva.
As the ball rolls across Mexico, the United States, and Canada during the FIFA World Cup 2026, the world's most important soccer tournament extends far beyond the field, becoming a phenomenon capable of mobilizing collective emotions, stimulating economic activity, and testing societies' ability to organize, coexist, and present themselves to the world.
Beyond the sporting celebration—which brings together 48 national teams, 104 matches, and millions of spectators worldwide—three specialists from the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) analyze the psychological behavior, social dynamics, and economic opportunities and challenges that exist behind every goal and victory.
According to Dr. Gerardo Leija Alva, professor and researcher at the Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences (CICS), Santo Tomás Unit, enthusiasm for soccer is linked to human evolution itself, as sports emerged as a socially acceptable outlet for impulses associated with conflict and competition.
"Soccer's simplicity, accessibility, and strong community roots have contributed to its expansion in Mexico and around the world because it is a sport that can be played virtually anywhere. In addition, many players come from working-class neighborhoods and communities, particularly in Latin America, which fosters identification and a sense of belonging among fans," the specialist explained.
Leija Alva noted that fans frequently speak in the plural when referring to their teams: "we won," "we lost," "they can't beat us." From a social psychology perspective, this behavior reflects a fundamental human need to belong to a group. Fans become the so-called "12th player," an emotional extension of the team that strengthens collective identity—a trait that has been vital to human survival since ancient times.
Whether attending a match in person or watching from a screen, the specialist explained, fans experience genuine physiological changes, particularly when their favorite team faces a critical moment. The brain activates mechanisms similar to those triggered by real threats, releasing adrenaline and noradrenaline, key neurotransmitters involved in the fight-or-flight response.
"Heart rate increases, and muscles become tense. Conversely, when a goal is scored or a victory is achieved, endorphins associated with pleasure and well-being are released. This is why the emotions generated by soccer can be as intense as joy, sadness, or even grief, because people experience a genuine sense of loss," he said.
According to the CICS Santo Tomás professor, watching a soccer match resembles being in a "trance state." The mind becomes fully focused on a single stimulus, causing the frontal lobe—the area responsible for reasoning—to become less active while the emotional system takes over. As a result, people may engage in irrational behaviors such as shouting at players or throwing objects at the television.
Leija Alva warned that watching a match can be physically exhausting due to the constant activation of the nervous system. For individuals with preexisting heart conditions, extreme emotional responses may pose significant health risks.
Soccer fandom also has an important social dimension, he added. Watching a match in a group creates a very different experience from watching alone because sharing emotions, celebrating victories, lamenting missed opportunities, and feeling the energy of fellow supporters strengthens social bonds and fosters a sense of community.
He emphasized that sports passion can be a positive force when it promotes social interaction, identity, and enthusiasm. However, when it escalates into aggression or violence, it becomes a threat to social coexistence.
"The key is not to suppress emotions but to learn how to regulate them. Being a fan is wonderful, but it would be even better to emulate the athletes we admire by engaging in physical activity ourselves. Watching sports is very different from being part of a team or practicing a sport, because that involves learning to play by the rules," the academic concluded.
Researchers from the Center for Economic, Administrative, and Social Research (CIECAS), María del Pilar Monserrat Pérez Hernández and Daniel Akenaton Granillo Hernández, emphasized that the World Cup also serves as an international showcase capable of projecting a country's image, attracting investment, strengthening tourism, and testing institutional, economic, and social capacities to host visitors.
According to Dr. Daniel Granillo, hosting a World Cup allows a nation to display its infrastructure, organizational capabilities, technological development, and the way its society presents itself to the world.
"Mexico enters this edition with a significant symbolic advantage: the positive legacy left by the 1970 and 1986 World Cups. The hospitality of its people, its cultural richness, and its accumulated experience have helped maintain a favorable image among international fans," noted the specialist in sociotechnical systems.
However, he added that the current context also presents challenges related to public safety, urban infrastructure, mobility, and geopolitical tensions among the host countries.
One particularly important issue, he explained, is security. Protective measures will likely be concentrated in tourist zones, hotels, stadiums, and transportation corridors, which may contrast with conditions in other urban areas.
"The event could expose complex social realities that are part of the country, from citizen demands to issues of inequality and violence. As with many international mega-events, Mexico, like any host nation, will seek to present its best image while also facing international scrutiny regarding its ongoing challenges," the IPN researcher stated.
Additional challenges include intercultural communication, assistance for international visitors, and the need to strengthen skills such as foreign-language proficiency. The World Cup may become an incentive to reflect on how future generations are being prepared for an increasingly globalized environment.
Dr. María del Pilar Monserrat Pérez Hernández, specialist in Economics, Innovation Management, and Technology Policy, explained that some of the most visible economic benefits associated with the tournament include infrastructure investment, transportation modernization, improvements to public spaces, and the strengthening of tourism-related services such as hotels, restaurants, transportation companies, urban maintenance, and commerce.
According to current estimates, Mexico could receive approximately four million visitors, generate nearly USD 3 billion in economic activity, and contribute around 0.1 percent to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Regionally, the tournament is expected to create 450,000 jobs and generate an economic impact of USD 35 billion.
"The World Cup is a global spectacle that mobilizes resources through broadcasting rights, sponsorships, advertising, compensation for clubs, and entertainment activities associated with the tournament. Even the expansion from 32 to 48 national teams and the increase in parallel events reflect the competition's growing economic dimension," she explained.
The specialist cautioned that many of the jobs created will be temporary and that the real challenge will be ensuring that investments continue to generate benefits after the tournament ends. Achieving this will require not only public investment but also active participation from the private sector to sustain infrastructure and employment opportunities over the long term.
According to the researcher, Mexico is already among the world's leading tourist destinations, and this World Cup represents an opportunity to strengthen that position and diversify its offerings beyond traditional sun-and-beach attractions, moving toward a tourism model based on higher-value experiences.
Cities that will not host matches but possess strong tourism appeal, such as Oaxaca, or rapidly growing destinations such as Puebla and Querétaro, could also benefit if they succeed in creating attractive experiences and developing infrastructure capable of supporting future international events.
"Mexico's rich gastronomy, culture, history, and architectural heritage provide opportunities to design more sophisticated tourism products that increase visitor spending and distribute economic benefits more broadly across the country," she said.
"The goal is to evolve from being a manufacturing nation to becoming a nation of knowledge creation. The challenge lies in transforming Mexican creativity into proposals capable of competing in an increasingly demanding international tourism market," she added.
Beyond the goals, packed stadiums, and international media attention, the FIFA World Cup 2026 will test Mexico's ability to transform a global sporting event into a platform for sustainable development.
The IPN specialists agree that success will depend on the country's capacity to strengthen infrastructure, innovation, and tourism, while also promoting physical activity from an early age and reinforcing the social fabric. In this sense, the FIFA World Cup 2026 represents a collective challenge whose true legacy will begin to be measured once the final whistle has blown.
INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO NACIONAL
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