MEXICO CITY — In November, four Mexicans founded "Reta Mexa" on social media to invite soccer fans to play impromptu matches every Friday on different streets in Mexico City. Street soccer in Mexico City has regained popularity ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Street soccer games in Mexico City are played without goalkeepers, referees, or grass. Players use spray paint to mark street soccer fields on streets. The term "reta" means "duel" or "challenge" in Mexico.

An impromptu street soccer game took place midday on a street in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City. Roy Jiménez, a lawyer and one of the four founders of Reta Mexa, and his son used orange spray paint to mark the corners of a 50-by-10-foot field flanked by cars and motorcycles. Twelve young men initially participated in the impromptu street soccer game.

"I have a son who loves soccer, and I see that he and his generation have become stuck at home," Jiménez said. Roy Jiménez is the father of a 12-year-old boy named Luis Enrique.

Street soccer culture in Mexico originated mainly among children but declined due to concerns over street safety and the popularity of indoor video games. Jesús González is a 21-year-old founder of Reta Mexa and grandson of former soccer player Enrique Borja. "We got together, saw a closed street, and saw it as an opportunity to set up two goals and a ball, and we invited passersby to join in," González said.

El Bebé del Futbol, a 29-year-old street soccer player who wears a child's mask and does not reveal his name, is originally from the Tepito neighborhood, a working-class area five miles from the game location. "I was born in a poor neighborhood, and my whole life has revolved around soccer. You either misbehave or you stay on the right path, and thanks to soccer, I'm on the right path," he said.

Matches are played in teams of three, with the first team to score two goals winning. Games last about 15 minutes and are paused when vehicles need to pass on the street field. The group used old soccer goals originally intended for children, which were found abandoned at Jiménez's parents' house.

Spectators and passersby gather around street soccer games and can play by challenging the winners. British tourists watched and joined street soccer games in Mexico City after González invited them to play.

Mexico is one of the three host countries for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, along with the United States and Canada.