For Mexico fans, a match at M&T Bank Stadium offers a chance for unity

Yazmin Hoffman watched the FIFA World Cup from Baltimore this summer with regret. She’s from Monterrey, Mexico, and planned to be in Mexico City to attend games. She and her husband, Steven, even booked their hotel. But, as the tournament neared, they decided the tickets for the games were too expensive.

It felt like she’d missed an opportunity of a lifetime. Then, in July, a friend sent her a Facebook post: The Mexican national team was playing an international friendly game in Baltimore. Here was her second chance — one she likened to missing your first train but catching the next.

“It felt like that. It’s not the same train, but it’s still going to the same place,” Hoffman said. “And that’s why I was so excited.”

As part of its annual MexTour, Mexico will play the first of its three games during FIFA’s international match window on Saturday against Colombia at M&T Bank Stadium.

Hoffman, 44, said, in the midst of her excitement, she feels for those who won’t be able to attend for various reasons. Her ticket was $350; she has friends who wanted to join but couldn’t afford it. And she knows others likely ran into a similar dilemma.

She also recognized safety concerns with the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Baltimore.

Javier Romero was worried, too, specifically for those who don’t speak English and undocumented immigrants who might take the risk to go because they feel the game is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Romero, 31, has lifelong friends who have been arrested and sent back to their countries or placed in detention centers. He described that experience as depressing. In the meantime, he hopes this game will send a message about the importance of the Latino community in Baltimore.

“The tickets are going to be sold out, and that’s going to help the economy here in Baltimore as well,” Romero said. “Hopefully, they see that we actually do make a difference here, that we do impact here as well. ... Honestly, without immigrants, this country doesn’t work.”

Hoffman has heard from fans planning to travel from Washington and Virginia to watch. She believes the game presents an opportunity to unite the Latino community in the area, even with the two countries competing against each other.

“It feels like the Latino community has been in the center of the conversation for a lot of months, and it hasn’t been in a positive light, or like something would happen with ICE,” Hoffman said. “The fact that this is happening feels like something positive and something fun, distracting. That is in the center but in a different light.”

The match marks the head coaching debut of Mexican legend Rafa Márquez, widely regarded as one of the country’s best players ever. He’ll take over for Javier Aguirre, who stepped down following Mexico’s 3-2 loss to England in the World Cup Round of 16.

The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol and Soccer United Marketing began the MexTour in 2002 as a series of international friendlies. The goal was to connect the team with its fanbase in the United States.

The tour never made a stop in Baltimore until this year.

Romero is hopeful more high-profile games will come to Baltimore in the future and the city could host World Cup matches whenever the event returns to the United States.

In recent years, M&T Bank Stadium has hosted well-attended soccer games. Barcelona and AC Milan squared off in a 2024 friendly. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami played D.C. United in March. And now there’s Saturday’s match between Mexico and Colombia, the 10th- and 11th-rated teams in the the FIFA rankings, respectively.

In 2023, Romero and his cousin trekked multiple hours to watch Mexico face Germany in a friendly in Philadelphia. He called it “a home game for Mexico.”

“It’s not every day they get to play right here at M&T Bank Stadium,” Romero said.