Mexico breaks world record with "largest ola in the world"

Many countries can claim the title of most passionate about football, but only Mexico is recognized globally for popularizing one of the sport's most beloved rituals: the hello.

Some 40 years after Mexico made the move famous at the 1986 World Cup, local officials say the country has just set a new record for "the biggest ola in the world", days before the start of the 2026 World Cup.

After multiple rehearsals on Saturday, thousands of people moved in sync along a long stretch of Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City for several minutes.

CNN has contacted Guinness World Records for confirmation. The ola is one of several rituals that have become synonymous with Mexico's football culture and will likely be part of the experience for the tens of thousands of foreign visitors expected to attend the 13 matches played in Mexico.

In Mexico, fans say, football feels more like a celebration than a competition. "It's like when you have a party at home and invite your friends. Now it's our turn to be the hosts," said Christian, who attended a friendly between Mexico and Serbia in Toluca on Thursday.

A week before the opening match of the World Cup - Mexico against South Africa in Mexico City on June 11 - the Toluca stadium was already buzzing with excitement.

Drums, horns and cumbia music - a dance genre characterized by powerful brass and accordions - played non-stop, effectively transforming the arena into a huge nightclub with chants of "Olé, Olé, Olé".

Naturally, Mexican hellos went through the stands. While the US and Canada will also host this year's tournament, here's a closer look at some of the traditions that promise to make Mexico the life of the party.

Origin of Ola
The "Mexican Hello" - A ritual performed at sporting events around the world today, the ola owes much of its fame to Mexico, even though it may not have been invented here.

The exact origin of ola is disputed, but many believe it emerged in the US in the late 1970s or early 1980s and spread across North America.

A few years later, fans in Mexico helped popularize it on a global scale by holding it during the 1986 World Cup. That's when millions of international spectators were exposed to it for the first time, which is why many outside of North America call it "Ola Mexicana."

Mexico has come to embrace this ritual so much that some Mexicans consider it a symbol of their culture. Fernando Vizcaíno, an expert on Mexican nationalism, states that when Mexicans say hello, they collectively incorporate their country.

"There is no ball there, the (fans) are not on the field, sometimes there is no goal and, strictly speaking, there are no players involved. However, this movement, this wave, this successive undulation represents Mexico," said Vizcaíno, a researcher at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

Mexico City's tourism department says the ola has changed the way sports are experienced and has become "a universal symbol of joy, fraternity and euphoria."

Music, chants and noise This feeling of joy is also a result of the concert atmosphere that reigns in Mexico's football stadiums. Chants, cheers and music are synonymous with football matches around the world, but those heard in Mexico are thunderous, visceral and constant.

"Believe me, with any music genre, people immediately start partying," said Gabriela, an operations coordinator at an auto parts store selling merchandise outside Toluca's main stadium on Thursday.

"I mean, especially with banda, corridos, grupera," she added, citing other Mexican musical genres. Often mixed in with the rhythm are noise instruments such as rattles - wooden objects shaped like flags that produce a loud popping sound when spun - and plastic horns called trumpets, which fans use to keep matches lively from start to finish.

Although these instruments can be heard loudly on the streets, they were banned at this year's World Cup in Mexico to avoid excessive noise. Mexican authorities have previously expressed fears that they could be used as weapons by unruly fans.

In terms of fans, "Chiquitibum" is one of the most iconic in the country.

Popularized by a beer commercial during the 1986 World Cup, it is used to encourage teams with its repetitive (though meaningless) syllables and upbeat ending.

But not all songs are celebratory. FIFA has already imposed fines on the Mexican Football Federation for its use of insults and offensive chants, and the federation has launched advertising campaigns to try to curb them.

One of the most criticized uses a four-letter word widely considered homophobic. "Undoubtedly, it has a macho connotation, which refers, on the one hand, to the reiteration of the rootedness of traditional masculinity, which is very characteristic of the majority of Mexican culture," said Vizcaíno, from UNAM. "Partidos en cantina" Away from the stadiums, Mexico's sports bars and restaurants host lively game viewing parties, called "partidos en cantina" in Spanish.

At these locations, people cheer on their teams while enjoying the food and drinks that Mexico is famous for, including local craft beers, tasty tacos with lime and salsa, and spicy botanas (snacks) that can be shared with friends and family. Among the most renowned establishments is Salon Corona, a restaurant and brewery in the historic center of Mexico City.

It has hosted fans, celebrities and politicians during big games for decades - from World Cups to national championships. "In the final of the Mexican league between Pumas and Cruz Azul, people sang the chants, waved their flags and said hello too," said manager Miguel Laguna.

Mexicans claim that this festive atmosphere is always present when there is a game, whether in a bar, at home or in a stadium. "The truth is that, in every World Cup, there is always something that Mexico manages to show, isn't there?", said Gabriela after Thursday's match in Toluca.

"I think in every country, people are always talking about Mexico - always, always, always talking about Mexico: the people, the atmosphere, the music. So I think regardless of the game, people have fun, and I think that's what matters."

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Source: CNN