EYDER PERALTA: This isn't the first time Mexico has hosted the FIFA World Cup. The last time, 1986, is remembered as one of the best World Cups of all time, but the run-up to that tournament was rocky. The new film "Mexico 86" tells the story of how Mexico beat out more likely contenders to host the tournament. In the somewhat fictionalized account, it's all thanks to a character named Martin De La Torre, head of the Mexican Futbol Federation. How did he do it? Charm, politics, dirty tricks and a hefty number of suitcases stuffed with cash. Diego Luna, the acclaimed Mexican actor, plays De La Torre, and he joins me now. Thanks for being with us.
DIEGO LUNA: Hey. How are you?
PERALTA: Good. So the film opens with a disclaimer. Some of these things really happened. Is your character based on someone in real life or multiple people?
LUNA: Multiple people - you know, what we wanted is to represent, I guess, what we know the federation did in Mexico. But we know many, many people was involved in the decision-making, and we also had to fill the blank spaces. So the idea is to build a fictional character to tell a story that did happen and told from a very Mexican perspective, but it's based on true facts, definitely.
PERALTA: So let's talk about the main character, Martin De La Torre. How does he rise to power inside the Mexican soccer federation?
LUNA: Well, it's one of these characters that is willing to do anything for the federation, for the government, for the institution that run Mexico. El PRI, the Partido Revolucionario Institucional, was the party in power, you know, and el PRI was the state. And this character really wants to be part of the power structure and the decision-making of the federation. But it's also quite an interesting World Cup because many things changed in '86. The tournament became much more about the financials and politics than the actual game.
There's parallels with the one we're living today. There was more teams invited. There was a big television chain involved in the organizing. Martin De La Torre somehow is a metaphor for - to talk about that federation that decided to go out there and become a key player, you know? And we had to fight, as you said, other countries that wanted to host, including the United States were a big contender back then.
PERALTA: And the maneuvering is epic, right? I mean, like, you know, the U.S. delegation includes former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and De La Torre has to take on him. Here's a clip from when De La Torre is trying to win over an Egyptian delegate.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "MEXICO 86")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) You have to look beyond football, gentlemen. The Libyan armed forces in Sudan - President Mubarak wants help to finish them. The United States can help. What do you offer?
PERALTA: What does Martin have to offer?
(LAUGHTER)
LUNA: It's not a secret how much corruption surrounds FIFA, you know? There was no social media. They would, like - doing things under the table was easier, you know, than today. But I think the key element to beat the United States on that moment is that no one believed in football in the States, you know? It felt like in the rest of the world, this event was the most important thing, and probably the States had other many events that they consider more important. And FIFA wanted to be - they wanted to be in control. And I don't think they thought, like, they could control the United States on doing the event they needed to build this brand they were building called FIFA, you know?
PERALTA: But Mexico makes the case - sort of makes the romantic case, right? But they also - they play the game.
LUNA: There is very dodgy moves from the federation in Mexico. To me, this whole film represents the fall of a system in Mexico - '85 is a year that is really difficult for the country. We have the earthquake that destroys a big part of Mexico City. A lot of loss comes for a big chunk of the population in Mexico, and the whole center of the country collapses, you know? And the government is absent, you know? In the middle of a tragedy, you know, is when you see what government you have, and the government doesn't come out.
But you know who comes out? The people - society organizes, you know, and suddenly it's people helping other people. Everyone in Mexico had a connection with someone that lost everything, and the World Cup serves these people that had been struggling and fighting for a year to come back as a way to also celebrate what society was capable of.
PERALTA: So let's get to the real story here, which is that Mexico is such a big country with a huge soccer culture, but it just doesn't perform as well at the World Cup. Here's a conversation between Martin and Emilio Azcarraga, the owner of Televisa, the country's largest broadcaster and de facto leader of the Mexican soccer.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "MEXICO 86")
LUNA: (As Martin De La Torre, speaking Spanish).
DANIEL GIMENEZ CACHO: (As Emilio Azcarraga, speaking Spanish).
PERALTA: (Laughter) So Azcarraga says, "Mexico will never win the World Cup, even if they play 11 against three."
And that's a pretty common sentiment among Mexicans, which feels counterintuitive. I mean, what gives?
LUNA: I don't know. It's just facts, right?
(LAUGHTER)
LUNA: Mexico has given us moments of big hope, but it always happens at the beginning of the tournament, you know? But there is something magic, you know, about football. Once it starts, it's a game that gives apparently the same opportunity to the weakest, you know, than to the big contenders. It's just that at the end, there's always a reminder, you know? The moment comes when you go like, oh, yeah, we are this team, not the other, you know?
PERALTA: (Laughter) Reality.
LUNA: Yeah, reality check always comes.
PERALTA: You know, I've lived in Mexico for four years now, and one of the things I noticed is that there's a very easy mix of romanticism and cynicism. I saw that in your character in this film, and I've heard it throughout this interview. Do you find that?
LUNA: Definitely, definitely. I mean, I don't know if you've played football, but I am terrible. But there's a moment when you're on the pitch and the ball is about to come to you, where you picture it and where you go like, I am going to stop the ball and then with the right, I'm going to kick it and put it, you know, in the corner of that goal, and I'm going to score. It's happening. You know, and the ball comes and then reality just hits you, and obviously you don't put it there. But for a moment, you believe you can. And it doesn't matter how many times you miss. You always have that feeling that this might be the different one. Many say that, oh, the World Cup comes as a distraction, and we stop worrying or caring about what really matters. But I say sometimes that we can see it the other way around. World Cups come and football exists to remind us what we're capable of, you know? And that's where the romanticism and magic comes, you know?
PERALTA: So Mexico gets to play at home again, and we're still in the romantic part of this tournament.
LUNA: Yes. We are going to win the World Cup.
PERALTA: Yeah (laughter)?
LUNA: If that's where you're going, yes.
PERALTA: That's exactly where I'm going. That's your prediction?
LUNA: I am positive. It's happening - yes, of course.
PERALTA: All right.
LUNA: (Laughter).
PERALTA: That's Diego Luna with a huge prediction. He stars in the new film "Mexico 86" now streaming on Netflix. Diego, thank you for being with us.
LUNA: Thank you very much.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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