The Ball Comes Home, but When Will They?
The Unspoken
Every 40 minutes, a person in Mexico disappears, amounting to approximately 40 missing people per day. Forty missing mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters. Forty human beings. Since 2006, these cases have accumulated to a total of 133,000 disappearances. Of these, 46,742 cases do not contain enough information for searches to be conducted.
Due to the lack of action, a group called Madres Buscadoras, or “Searching Mothers” in English, has made it its mission to find those who have disappeared and bring attention to their cases. Different regional groups operate under different names. Together, they have found 2,530 people, approximately 50% of whom were still alive. They have also recovered remains that can be identified through DNA testing.
Although this seems like a national emergency, some sports fans, particularly soccer fans, appear to view these searches as a mere inconvenience or disruption to their celebrations.
When Celebration Becomes Indifference
The biggest enemy of a Mexican is another Mexican.
During the 2026 World Cup, in Mexico City, a total of 79 people have disappeared, most of whom belong to Gen Z. People have attempted to express their concern, yet they have been dismissed not only by fans but also by the media.
Fans have been caught taking posters from mothers’ hands to shield themselves from the rain and directly shaming the women in videos and interviews. Meanwhile, foreigners who had never been exposed to this side of the country have shown support and compassion toward them.
The police also appear unable to keep track of the overwhelming number of cases reported each day. Also, the government does not seem to acknowledge the gravity of the situation, choosing instead to present only the positive side of the country, even when that image does not reflect reality. All these claims have been made in mañaneras, where the president addresses the country’s doubts and demands.
Credit: Corriente Alterna, UNAM
How Is Gen Z Being Affected?
Members of Gen Z are being recruited by organized crime through job offers that appear legitimate. These young people are seeking better lives for themselves or their parents, but many have not made it home. People are desperate to escape poverty, yet they are met with tragic consequences while trying to do so. How, then, can we know when we are safe?
Not many people speak about those who are afraid to leave their homes or those who have never returned. However, Gen Z has made immense efforts to bring attention to them. Peaceful protests are frequently organized in solidarity with those who have missing relatives, to raise awareness of the crisis, and to search for people who left their lives behind and have not come back. Protesters try to hold on to the small hope that the situation in the country will improve.
It Isn’t Fair
As obvious as it may sound, the situation these women face is unfair on several levels. First, nobody deserves to experience that kind of sorrow. When they do, they should not be ignored. People should not have to find creative ways to expose what the government is and is not doing just to be heard. They should not be minimized, silenced, or shamed.
These women put themselves in danger for the mere hope of finding their children. They are threatened and exposed to extreme situations simply for seeking the justice they deserve and that their innocent sons and daughters deserve.
The Search They Never Chose
Even those with the most power have shown more attention to World Cup events than to the crisis facing the nation. These groups have nothing against sports or celebration, but they do not want to be overlooked. Yet many people have developed the wrong impression of them because of misleading claims and portrayals on social media.
People still do not understand that these women have little hope left. They know they will most likely not find their children alive. For many, even finding a bone would offer the chance to close the dreadful cycle of searching that they never chose to begin.