Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Gabriel Ripstein, Netflix’s ‘Mexico 86’ dramatizes the events that led up to Mexico’s hosting of the 1986 FIFA World Cup. While the sports dramedy film is largely informed by the book, ”El 86: El Año En Que México Cambió Al Mundo,’ by Francisco Javier González, what makes it unique is how it chronicles history through the eyes of Martín de la Torre, who goes from being a run-of-the-mill employee at FEMEXFUT to becoming its president. What strengthens his resolve throughout this journey is sheer wit, and how he can wield it to make his way out of impossible situations at all times. However, landing Mexico a shot at hosting the coveted tournament twice is only the first step, and Martín soon learns that holding on to the chair is a lot harder than gaining it.
Martín de la Torre is Loosely Based on a Real-Life FEMEXFUT President
The character of Martín de la Torre is a semi-fictionalized composite of the real-life figures who played a role in Mexico’s selection as the host nation for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. More specifically, he appears to be a loose reimagining of Rafael del Castillo, who served as the president of the Mexican Football Federation, or FEMEXFUT, from 1980 to 1988. Just like the fictional Martín, Castillo is perhaps best known for being a central organizational and diplomatic force during the 1986 tournament. However, aside from broader, superficial references, the movie does not make any direct connections to Castillo or his life. Instead, writers Daniel Krauze and Gabriel Ripstein dramatize various aspects of history in bringing this story to the screen.
In sports journalist Francisco Javier González’s book, ‘El 86: El Año En Que México Cambió Al Mundo,’ which also serves as the basis of the movie, Castillo is mentioned several times. However, given that the book is largely a documentation of history, as opposed to an inventive narrative, it is likely that the writing team only took loose inspirations while creating Martín. In his appearance on the podcast ‘Hablando De Cine Con,’ actor Diego Luna, who plays Martín, confirmed that his character is based on some of the managers and politicians who made the 1986 World Cup happen, and not any singular real-life figure. However, there are still some apparent parallels between Martín’s fictional journey and Castillo’s real life.
Rafael del Castillo Was Instrumental to Making the 1986 World Cup a Success
As per reports, Rafael del Castillo entered the world of football as an amateur player before eventually leaning towards sports management. Throughout the 1970s, Castillo steadily climbed the ranks of the Mexican Football Federation, eventually becoming the president of the Disciplinary Commission and, later, the general secretary. In 1980, he was elected as the president of FEMEXFUT and is credited with introducing various initiatives to modernize the administration process and create a robust environment for Mexican soccer. In ‘Mexico 86,’ by contrast, Martín de la Torre is depicted as a lower-level employee at the federation, who uses his wit and courage to jump up the ranks at FEMEXFUT.
Where Castillo and Martín’s stories overlap is in Mexico’s hosting of the 1986 World Cup, and their associated role in the real and fictional world, respectively. While Colombia was initially supposed to hold the tournament, it withdrew from that role in 1982 due to economic reasons. In the aftermath, Mexico, Canada, and the United States emerged as the foremost candidates to be the replacement hosting site, and eventually, the privilege went to Mexico. ‘Mexico 86’ places Martín at the heart of this event, depicting a dramatized version of the diplomatic maneuvers that may have been employed at that time.
In real life, Castillo has been recognized as a key figure during the 1986 tournament, with Mikel Arriola, commissioner of the FMF, stating that Castillo “concentrated on preparing the National Team to achieve the best performance in our World Cup history. He understood soccer as a social and cultural phenomenon and knew that the Federation should be not only a sports entity, but an institution at the service of the country.” However, the larger-than-life tricks that Martín pulls in the movie seem to be wholly an invention of the writing team, with no direct references to reality.
Rafael del Castillo Was Banned From His Presidency Due to the Cachirules Scandal
Another instance of Rafael del Castillo’s story potentially inspiring Martín de la Torre’s characterization centers around the Cachirules Scandal. In 1988, FEMEXFUT was accused of knowingly using at least four overage players as a part of the Mexico under-20 team, which was inbound for the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship. The team had already played in the 1988 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament, where it secured first place in the group, but a discrepancy in the players’ recorded ages was soon discovered. By June of the same year, CONCACAF had confirmed that the reported ages of four players were false. Following the revelation, the Mexican team was disqualified from participating in the 1989 Youth World Cup in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Mexico was also banned from qualifying for the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games and the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
Castillo was among the officials who were banned from holding their position for life, and though he tried to appeal the verdict at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich in June of 1988, the situation remained unchanged. In ‘Mexico 86,’ a fictionalized version of the Cachirules Scandal becomes an important narrative beat concerning Martín de la Torre, and while there are clear parallels between his arc and real-life, much of what we see in the movie remains fictional to a great extent. In his later years, Castillo remained a significant figure in Mexican sports, and his portrait was later added to the FEMEXFUT Hall of Presidents. On March 3, 2026, Rafael del Castillo passed away at the age of 92, yet he remains noteworthy in Mexico’s cultural memory and in its love for football.
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