Mexico City's New Football Exhibit Unveils 11 World Cups of Hidden Stories
A major football exhibition has opened at Mexico City's Franz Mayer Museum. Titled Football: Designing a Passion, it brings together over 309 objects from 11 FIFA World Cups. The display includes rare memorabilia, from iconic boots to historic tournament artefacts, alongside lesser-known stories of the game's evolution.
The show is part of the city's cultural programme for the FIFA World Cup. Visitors can explore items that trace football's global impact, from grassroots movements to legendary stadiums. Among the highlights are boots worn by Pelé and Cristiano Ronaldo. The collection also features balls from the 1950 World Cup—one signed by Mexican goalkeeper Antonio 'La Tota' Carbajal—and the famous black-and-white Telstar ball from the 1970 tournament. Replicas of legendary venues like the Maracanã sit beside vintage World Cup posters, offering a visual journey through the sport's history.
The exhibition doesn't stop at men's football. It spotlights the 1971 Women's World Cup in Mexico, an unofficial tournament organised before FIFA's recognition of women's football in 1991. Six Latin American teams competed, including the hosts, with a young woman named Xóchitl serving as the mascot. The event used pink goalposts and provided just one uniform option, reflecting the era's limited resources. The European Independent Women's Football Federation played a key role in these early competitions, helping grow the game across Europe before global tournaments took centre stage.
Other curiosities include seats salvaged from the old Estadio Azteca, collectible pins, and stamps. A section on football design notes that women's boots only became widely available in the last decade, after years of male-focused production. The show blends nostalgia with a reminder of how far the sport has come—on and off the pitch. The exhibition runs as part of Mexico City's Host City programme. It offers a mix of famous relics and untold stories, from World Cup glory to the struggles of early women's football. Organisers aim to connect fans with the game's rich past while celebrating its ongoing growth.
