Outside Lusail Iconic Stadium, before his country’s national team took on Argentina, Gabriel Galván, 49, was explaining why there were so many Mexicans here — perhaps the biggest fan group at the 2022 World Cup — when another fan wearing no team gear interrupted.
“Can I borrow your hat for a photo?” the fan asked. Galván, wearing a traditional poncho in the Mexican flag’s colors, obliged. “Just for a moment,” he said, handing over his black sombrero with a gold trim.
“We feel like we’re artists,” he continued. “We put on sombreros. We’re well received all over the world.