The Mexican National Team and its fans have chosen the anthem to accompany their historic match against England on Sunday (July 5) at the Ciudad de México Stadium in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16. The song is “Aquí No Es Así,” a well-known track by the iconic Mexican band Caifanes, which the team and its supporters are using to inspire hope and unity ahead of the match.
The track went viral in a video posted Thursday (July 2) on the Mexican team’s social media, surprising vocalist Saúl Hernández. Two days earlier, Hernández had attended the Mexico versus Ecuador match at the Ciudad de México Stadium (formerly Estadio Azteca) with his son, at the invitation of selected player César “Chino” Huerta.
“Many of my songs are about an existential search — who we are, where we’re going or what we want. All those questions appear in my particular way of creating,” Hernández tells Billboard Español. “That’s what people hear; there’s a much deeper connection, perhaps with this understanding that the greatest battle of your life is the one in the mirror.”
“Aquí No Es Así” is part of Caifanes’ legendary album El Nervio del Volcán (1994), with lyrics co-written by Hernández, drummer Alfonso André and the band’s former guitarist, Argentine-Mexican Alejandro Marcovich, who is currently in a coma after suffering a stroke on May 19.
In 2017, Marcovich himself spoke about the reinterpretation of this song during the #To2Unidos initiative, launched by Mexican radio stations in the United States in response to anti-immigration measures implemented during president Donald Trump’s first term.
“Apparently, those lyrics helped resonate with the patriotic Mexican spirit,” Marcovich wrote on his Facebook account. “Although, of course, they were not written with any purpose other than to highlight the difference between the invaders and the conquered in this, the Mexican territory.”
Hernández considers the moment Mexico is experiencing as one of the three host countries of the FIFA tournament, along with the United States and Canada, to be “historic.” “An event as grand as the World Cup somehow connects with that search for sensitivity and brotherhood,” he says. “I think the World Cup is helping the country show that it has life, strength, and incredible magic.”
Although he celebrates the spirit of unity sparked by World Cup fever in Mexico — with massive celebrations, pride in its roots and confidence in the national team — he believes it has also brought about a “strong catharsis” during complex social and political times for the Latin American country.
“I was with my son at the Mexico vs. Ecuador match. It’s incredible how people pour their hearts out, and this indescribable energy is generated,” he says. “The national team played impeccably, but I think that, beyond sports, it’s important for society to stand in solidarity with other social movements, especially those that are isolated by the state, like the mothers searching for their missing loved ones.”
The crisis of disappearances in Mexico cast a shadow over the world’s most celebrated sporting event when relatives of the more than 135,000 people officially reported as missing or unlocated used the World Cup’s spotlight on the country to denounce what they call “the real Mexico.”
“The only thing I could say is that we should take this moment for deep reflection,” the singer says. “Let’s enjoy it, but let’s not forget the causes for which so many people are suffering greatly.”
Regarding the highly anticipated match between Mexico and England on Sunday — the first time both nations will face off since 1966 — Hernández believes it won’t be “an easy game” for England, given that the Mexicans will be “playing at home” in the legendary Ciudad de México Stadium.
“We’ve seen how unity is indestructible and very powerful,” he notes. “That unity, in such difficult moments like the earthquakes of 1985 and 2017, has strengthened our bonds as a society, as Mexicans. Now, football unites us.”
Considered the most legendary and influential rock bands in Mexico, with classics like “La Negra Tomasa” and “Mátenme Porque Me Muero,” Caifanes was highlighted this year by Billboard in the top 10 of The 50 Best Latin Rock Bands of All Time, ranking at No. 7. On July 11, the group is scheduled to perform at the GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City.
