Mexico 86 review: Netflix's true football story fails to score

Published June 5, 2026, 3:01 a.m. EDT

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World Cup fever has officially taken over the world, with the next tournament set to begin on June 11. As a result, everyone seems to be getting in on the soccer (or football, depending on where you’re from) craze, even Netflix. The streamer releases its latest film, Mexico 86at the service this Friday.

Mexico 86 tells the story of Martín de la Torre, a junior employee of the football federation who puts everything on the line for his country. After instability caused by Pablo Escobar’s reign of terror forced Colombia to abandon plans to host the 1986 World Cup, FIFA scrambles to find a new country for the tournament to take place. A number of countries have thrown their hat into the ring, including the United States, Egypt, Sweden and Mexico. Martín de la Torre pledges to lead his country’s ambitious bid to host the World Cup in Mexico, using questionable tactics, political negotiations and guts to achieve it.

The story of Mexico 86 fails to impress

Despite what seems like an interesting premise, what becomes more and more obvious as Mexico 86 What continues is the disconnect between the audience and the film itself. He tends to treat his subject as more interesting than it actually is, without doing enough to convince the audience to invest in the story. The consequence of such an error is that the film may only interest football fansrather than attracting the general public as Netflix hopes to do.

Likewise, the story of corruption and chaos surrounding a World Cup host country is consistent with almost everything FIFA has done in recent decades, something that virtually every fan of the sport is familiar with. As a result, even the biggest soccer fans may not find the film particularly compelling, as the ins and outs of the build-up to the 1986 World Cup pale in comparison to other FIFA scandals, like the Sepp Blatter/Michel Platini corruption affair of 2015 (ironically enough, the latter is named in this film).

Mexico 86The story also changes in surprising ways as the film progresses. The first act frames the rest as a fight for World Cup hosting rights, but Mexico is named the host nation around the 40th minute. The story then follows the character Diego Luna as he prepares his country for the tournament, including fending off late attempts by the United States to take over organizing duties following a deadly earthquake in Mexico that leaves FIFA uneasy. The story ultimately moves beyond the 1986 World Cup and its climax, a strange creative choice that feels like a betrayal of the film’s most fundamental premise.

Even though the script itself is lacking, the film’s lead actor continues to impress.

As the story progresses in unexpected (and often disappointing) directions, Mexico 86 retains its light humor. Netflix presents the film as a comedybut the attempts at humor mostly fail, relying heavily on clever jokes that rarely make an impact. The light tone helps make this an easy, mostly entertaining watch, but it also reduces any sense of urgency or emotional weight. In moments when the stakes should seem high, the often mean-spirited humor robs the sequence of any tension, leaving Mexico 86 feel off-putting when it should be captivating.

Diego Luna shines despite Mexico 86 problems

Félix (Diego Luna) looking angry in his chair in Narcos - Mexico

As the film progresses, it feels less like a story about the Mexico World Cup and more like a Martín de la Torre biopic. He is the central protagonist of the film, but he is not entirely good by nature. In fact, much of the film shows de la Torre doing something wrong, from cheating on his wife to bribing officials and even forging the ages of players to make them eligible to play for the Mexican under-20 team. All this makes him a relatively unsympathetic main character, reminiscent of Marty Supreme. However, unlike Marty, de la Torre doesn’t have as many redeeming qualities, so audiences will likely have a hard time sympathizing with him as things start to go wrong.

In fact, most of the main character’s charm and likability comes from Diego Luna himself. Luna has had some incredible years, thanks in part to her starring role in the film. critically acclaimed Andor on Disney+and it’s a shame his streak doesn’t continue with Mexico 86. However, it’s not for lack of trying; Luna does his best to make the film as good as possible, and it’s largely thanks to him that Mexico 86 attracts the attention of the public. His charisma allows him to dominate the screen. Even though the script itself is lacking, the film’s lead actor continues to impress.

Mexico 86 is available to stream on Netflix starting June 5.