The Mexican Men’s National Team makes history for fans and brand partners during MexTour 2024

For the Mexican Men’s National Team, the 2024 MexTour is all about … more. “If we wanted to capture in one word what we are doing this year, it is more,” said Pablo Zarate, VP at Soccer United Marketing, which organizes the tour. “We are finding more fans, more opportunities to connect with them, and more partners are coming on board. There are more games that we are putting together and more initiatives that we are creating.” Now in its 21st year, MexTour offers fans an opportunity to see the Mexican Men’s National Team play in stadiums across the U.S., in matches against other top national teams. Three matches have been completed during the past two weeks, with two more contests to follow in early September. For MexTour 2024, more means additional fans in the stands—including breaking a MexTour attendance record within the state of Texas at the June 8 match against perennial powerhouse Brazil at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. The crowd of 85,249 witnessed the first-ever soccer match at the home of Texas A&M University.¹ More also means bringing a new energy and enhancements to ongoing MexTour initiatives including the more than 60,000-square-foot AT&T Fútbol Fiesta on-site fan fest, and the MexTour Live concert experience presented by Gillette Labs. This year, MexTour Live will take place in downtown Dallas, two days before the final tour match in nearby Arlington, Texas, in September, offering on-site activations, sampling, live music and more. And more means new fan segmentation research showing that the Mexican Men’s and Women’s National Teams—have 65 million fans in the U.S., making it one of the most popular sports properties in America.² Soccer United Marketing (SUM) collaborated with Nielsen Sports in this new research to understand the Mexican National Team’s audience in the U.S. to drive deeper connections with fans, uncover the fan personas that are specific to fans in the U.S., and deliver actionable insights for partners. The research also uncovered that over 55% of the team’s Hispanic fans are second- or third-generation Hispanic Americans.³ (Click image to enlarge) “This is one of the main characteristics that make the Mexican National Team fanbase in the U.S. unique – the duality of our fans. With fans ranging from first, to second and third generation it is very important for us to ensure that the love for the team transcends from one generation to another. We encapsulate this duality in our brand campaign Somos Locales, which has a dual meaning: (1) We are local, acknowledging the uniqueness of the Mexican-American experience and the notion of ‘rooting for our roots,’ here in the U.S. And (2) it also means we are the home team, and we can see this reflected in the attendance and ratings numbers of our MexTour games,” Zarate said. However they came to be fans—because of family or friends, because of star players who caught their attention, or because they played as the Mexican National Teams in videogames—they are all part of a community. 82% of core fans say they watch matches with friends or family, and 52% of the team’s core fans say they are willing to travel more than three hours—each way—to get to a MexTour match and be part of that community in person.⁴ For brands, the Mexican National Team and MexTour offer an opportunity to connect with a large and growing fan base that is eager to consume matches, content highlights, and partner messages. “This fan base is very loyal,” Zarate said. “On top of consuming matches and news about the team, fans also feel a close association with the brands that are partners in the Mexican National Team’s journey. It is unique in sports.” Mexican National Team fan passion spills over to a host of blue-chip partners, including Michelob Ultra and Expedia, who are authentically activating their partnerships in ways unique to their brand. For Michelob Ultra, the brand is leveraging the power of the team’s IP with commemorative Mexican National Team cans available at retail. “Since the beginning of our relationship, the Mexican National Team has been a world-class partner and it has been exciting to work alongside them as soccer enters its golden era in the U.S.,” said Matt Davis, head of partnerships at Anheuser-Busch. “The Mexican National Team’s fanbase is incredibly passionate and it’s only continuing to grow. The success we have seen with our co-branded cans are a proof point that fans are excited about this sponsorship and the future of the Mexican National Team.” For Expedia, the company is creating new and exciting content with Mexican National Team players to connect with customers in a meaningful way. “Expedia has been the official U.S. travel partner of the Mexican Men’s National Team since 2022 and, over the past couple of years, we've seen a deeper brand connection and stronger awareness among the millions of passionate fans in the U.S., especially among Latino travelers," said Chandreyi Davis, global VP of brand marketing for Expedia. "Through our expansive football portfolio, we know that nothing beats being there to cheer on your favorite team, and the Mexican Men's National Team gives Expedia an incredible channel to directly connect with millions of fans in the U.S. to help them get the most out of every travel experience." During a time of tremendous excitement for MexTour, the Mexican National Teams are also seeing great momentum in terms of investment of brands. Most recently, Strauss, the German workwear leader, continued its strategic push into the Americas by becoming an official partner of the Mexican National Teams in the U.S. Additional highlights include Casillero del Diablo who was unveiled as a partner in April, and new partners to the Mexican National Teams in the U.S. also include Western Union and WSS. For both players and fans, this year’s MexTour matches have taken on heightened significance because the Mexican Men’s National Team has, by virtue of being a co-host, automatically qualified into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. MexTour matches, as well as upcoming play in the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America, the 2024-2025 Concacaf Nations League, and the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, will provide critical opportunities for the Mexican Men’s National Team to test itself against world-class opponents. “This is a crucial moment in the run-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” Zarate said. “We are looking at 2026 as a generational opportunity—and even more, to serve Mexican National Team fans and further elevate the Mexican National Team brand.” Sources 1. Soccer United Marketing, 2024. 2. Nielsen Sports x Mexican National Team Fan Segmentation Study, 2023. 3. Nielsen Sports x Mexican National Team Fan Segmentation Study, 2023. 4. Nielsen Sports x Mexican National Team Fan Segmentation Study, 2023. About Soccer United Marketing Soccer United Marketing (SUM), the commercial arm of Major League Soccer (MLS), is the pre-eminent commercial soccer enterprise in North America, overseeing the commercialization, marketing, promotion and operational execution of the region’s most successful soccer matches and events, including Major League Soccer, the Mexican Men’s and Women’s National Teams for the U.S. market (MexTour and MexTour W), Leagues Cup, and Campeones Cup, as well as spearheading sponsorship sales for top Concacaf competitions including Concacaf Gold Cup, Concacaf Nations League Finals, Concacaf Champions Cup, and Concacaf W. In addition, SUM held the promotional and commercial rights to the highly successful 2016 Copa America Centenario. About Major League Soccer Headquartered in New York, Major League Soccer (MLS)—celebrating its 29th season in 2024—features 30 clubs throughout the United States and Canada, including a new expansion team in San Diego that will debut in 2025. All MLS, Leagues Cup and select MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches can be watched through MLS Season Pass, available on the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes and game consoles, and the web at tv.apple.com. MLS Season Pass features the most expansive and accessible lineup of programming ever for MLS fans. For more information about MLS, visit mlssoccer.com. For more information about the Apple TV app, visit apple.com/apple-tv-app.

The Mexican Men’s National Team makes history for fans and brand partners during MexTour 2024

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