Fields of the Gods: Mexico’s football pitches from above – photo essay

Across Mexico, a co-host of nan 2026 World Cup, shot pitches are laid retired wherever communities tin find nan space. On nan edges of towns, connected road underpasses, and moreover successful a volcano crater, spaces are cleared that let group young and aged to stock successful nan dream of nan beautiful game.

In an impoverished neighbourhood successful Monterrey, bluish Mexico, 14-year-old Humberto Guadalupe, nicknamed “Messi” by friends and family, spends his weekends connected nan community’s only shot field, surrounded by abandoned cars and ungraded roads.

• Humberto Guadalupe (left), 14, and Eduardo Reyes, 12, play football, followed by snacks organised by evangelists, successful Monterrey

• Humberto pinch his grandfather Guadalupe Mendonza Guerrero and his grandma Maria del Carmen Gutierrez Rodriguez astatine their location astatine Cerro de la Campana, Monterrey.

Just for illustration nan legendary Argentinian subordinate who inspired his nickname, Humberto dreams of becoming a master subordinate 1 day, encouraged by his grandmother. “One measurement aliases another, it’s going to happen,” he says. “Even erstwhile we suffer a match, we support our heads up.”

• Pandilleros squad members seen warming up done a surgery car model earlier nan Cerro de la Campana llanero title semifinal necktie against Bandoleros astatine Los Pinos shot transportation successful Monterrey

• People watch a lucifer betwixt Bandoleros and Pandilleros

• Children from communities adjacent Cerro de la Campana play a match

• Players during successful an amateur convention lucifer betwixt San Mateo and Real Madrid astatine nan Cancha de los Dioses (Field of nan Gods), a shot section wrong nan crater of nan dormant Teoca volcano

• San Isidro coach Jorge Baltazar (in blue) talks to his players during a lucifer against Bombay astatine nan Cancha de los Dioses. Aitana Michelle Hernandez Blas and her mother beryllium arsenic they watch Aitana’s begetter play.

• Children waste and acquisition a sticker of Brazilian subordinate Vinícius Júnior from a World Cup album. Bombay subordinate Diego Gutierrez Miranda, 19, plays pinch his 18-month-old baby, Matias Gutierrez Romero, earlier a lucifer against Rayados

To nan south, successful a agrarian territory connected nan outskirts of Mexico City, families get by car, motorcycle, bicycle and connected ft to watch matches astatine nan “Field of nan Gods”, a shot transportation wrong nan crater of nan extinct Teoca volcano.

Mist moves betwixt conifer trees and consequence orchards that framework nan transportation successful nan erstwhile crater, astir 700 metres (2,300 ft) supra nan sprawling Mexican capital. Built by nan organization much than 60 years ago, it is utilized by amateur section teams connected Sundays.

• Local group playing shot astatine pitches arsenic boats and trajineras walk done nan Xochimilco ecological zone, composed of h2o channels and chinampas, aliases alleged floating gardens

In adjacent Xochimilco, shot players thrust successful accepted trajinera woody boats on canals and transverse chinampas, nan ancient cultivation land aliases floating gardens that helped prolong nan Aztec superior hundreds of years ago.

They are heading to play connected immoderate of Mexico City’s past remaining earthy writer pitches. Located wrong a Unesco world practice site, nan pitches are an important societal hub, but their creation tin beryllium damaging to nan area’s ecology and nan residence of nan endangered axolotl salamander, scientists say.

• People thrust a trajinera towards shot fields to return portion successful amateur convention matches

• Referees stitchery earlier taking portion successful amateur convention matches successful nan protected Xochimilco area. Emmanuel Dela Rosa, two, looks up astatine his begetter during an amateur convention game

• Emiliano Macedo, 21, wearing a kit inspired by nan erstwhile Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos Navarrete, rests during a break successful a lucifer betwixt Mexico and Argentina successful nan protected Xochimilco area

Though separated by scenery and distance, these matches stock nan aforesaid rhythm: communities building spaces astir shot successful places shaped by hardship, surface science and memory.

Teoca volcano

• A sports section known arsenic nan Field of nan Gods, wrong nan crater of nan inactive Teoca volcano

Photographer Raquel Cunha spent 3 months taking photos of amateur shot matches crossed Mexico City and beyond, mostly shooting connected Sundays erstwhile players are retired successful force. She selected astir of her subjects by intimately examining nan metropolis connected representation apps and choosing a shortlist of 15 to photograph pinch a drone.

Of these, she chose 2 successful Mexico City, positive 1 successful nan business northbound to besides photograph connected nan ground, pinch contrasting environments: gritty Monterrey; a green, mountainous suburb; and a humanities neighbourhood of canals.

Tlatelolco

• A painted shot transportation successful nan Tlatelolco lodging analyzable successful Mexico City

In this painted shot transportation successful nan Tlatelolco lodging complex, nan Sharkes community-led squad clasp matches to beforehand athletics wrong nan LGBTQA+ organization successful Mexico City.

Teotihuacan pyramids

• Hot aerial balloons float adjacent nan Teotihuacan pyramids

Hot aerial balloons drift complete a shot section adjacent nan ancient pyramids of Teotihuacan connected nan outskirts of Mexico City.

Alberto ‘Chivo’ Cordova University Stadium

• The Alberto ‘Chivo’ Cordova University Stadium successful Toluca

Here, nan building is nan artwork.

This stadium doubles arsenic a elephantine canvas: nan “Aratmosfera” mural, by nan renowned Mexican creator Leopoldo Flores Valdés, which is painted straight connected to its arches and surrounding rock, blending creation pinch architecture. Seen from above, it becomes a vast, continuous mural woven into nan landscape.

Avioneta Park

• A transportation astatine Avioneta Park successful Ecatepec

In 1 of nan astir densely populated areas connected nan outskirts of Mexico City, astatine Avioneta Park successful Ecatepec, a mini craft sits beside a barrio shot pitch.

Luis Donaldo Colosio

• A shot section astatine nan Sports Unit Luis Donaldo Colosio connected nan outskirts of Mexico City

With nan near-perfect circle of nan Xico volcano crater, known locally arsenic nan “navel of nan world”, forming a backdrop, this shot transportation sits connected Mexico City’s edge.

The position contrasts nan cleanable lines of a sports section pinch nan earthy geometry of a volcanic crater.

Synthetic soccer

• A synthetic shot section astatine a lodging analyzable successful Monterrey

Such compact “mini-pitches” are progressively communal successful dense Mexican cities, bringing organised shot into residential spaces.

In Monterrey, wherever abstraction is tight, shot often finds a location successful residential complexes for illustration this one.

University Olympic Stadium

• A transportation astatine nan University Olympic Stadium successful Mexico City

Declared a Unesco world practice site, nan field astir this stadium is considered a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture and municipality planning.

Once nan main venue for nan 1968 Olympic Games, it remains 1 of Mexico City’s astir historical sporting arenas.

Neza 86 Stadium

• The Neza 86 Stadium connected nan outskirts of Mexico City

Built for nan 1986 World Cup, nan Neza 86 Stadium rises from nan crowded outskirts of Mexico City, a fading arena wherever world shot erstwhile met nan city’s quickly expanding edge.

Los Pinos, Monterrey

The Los Pinos shot transportation successful nan Cerro de la Campana, Monterrey

Parque La Mexicana complex

• A transportation connected nan rooftop of a Costco branch successful Mexico City

This rooftop transportation connected a Costco building successful nan Santa Fe business territory of Mexico City is portion of a layered municipality scenery incorporating recreation and sustainability.

Beside it, a greenish tile pinch 21 autochthonal works and writer varieties introduces a dense spot of vegetation into nan actual surroundings.