From Arena Mexico to the World Cup, a wrestling-mask boom is taking shape

MEXICO CITY — Guadalupe Zuñiga has been around wrestling masks for as long as she can remember.

It is a relationship that began when she watched her father performing in the ring and she has now transformed it into a business eagerly awaiting the start of soccer's 2026 World Cup.

The 42-year-old Zuñiga, daughter of the famous late wrestler Angel Azteca, owns a factory in the popular barrio of Iztapalapa on the outskirts of Mexico City, where her team produce an average of 300 wrestling masks a week.

''We expect a very large increase in sales with so many foreigners because wrestling and masks are a Mexican symbol. We hope the stores we work with will ask us for more of this product,'' Zúñiga told The Associated Press.

Zuñiga works closely with well-known wrestlers like Tinieblas, Blue Panther, Ultimo Guerrero and Mascara Sagrada. She produces customised masks that are hand made and can take up to two days to make.

''There are more collectors now. Fifteen years ago there were not many people saying, ‘I have 30 masks at my place', now you have fans with 50 or 100 masks at home,'' she said. ''I think in the past six years the business has grown. You have tourists coming and they stop by the shops that sell them to get one.''

Around the Arena Mexico wrestling venue, and other tourist spots around the city like the Angel de la Independencia, there are cheaper versions of the masks that sell for as low as 50 pesos (around $3). Custom-made versions can sell for hundreds of dollars depending on design.

''We always have many foreign customers, but we expect many more during the World Cup. We'll try to give them a nice souvenir to take back to their countries,'' said Clementina López, who sells masks near the Arena Mexico.

Mexico will host 13 World Cup matches. Guadalajara and Monterrey have four games apiece and the capital Mexico City has five.

Authorities expect five million tourists during the tournament.

History behind the masks

Late Mexican writer Carlos Monsivais, a fan of Lucha Libre freestyle wrestling, said wrestlers liked to use masks because it provided them with an intimidating face.

It is believed the first person to wear a mask in Mexico was American wrestler Corbin James Massey, who in 1933 lost on his debut under the nickname ''Cyclone Mackey''.

A year later he wanted to fight again but did not wish to be recognized so he asked for a mask made by Antonio Martinez, a local craftsman.

Massey then started wrestling under the alias ''Maravilla Enmascarada'' (Masked Marvel) to start a tradition that was followed in 1938 by fellow competitor Jesus ''Murcielago'' Velazquez of Mexico and then in the 1950s by icons Santo, Blue Demon and Huracan Ramirez.

Crossover to other sports

It is still unclear the exact moment when fans started wearing masks at soccer matches, but that sport and the lucha libre are two favorite pastimes for Mexicans.

But soccer stadiums are not the only places where masks are popular. At the Mexican Formula 1 Grand Prix two years ago, local driver Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen wore one and George Russell did the same last year.

For the 2024 race, Perez also wore a special helmet that featured a wrestling mask.

''This helmet is special because I really love Mexican culture and lucha libre. We love lucha libre, I'm a wrestler and I wanted to add a mask to it,'' Pérez said at the time.

The helmet featured a blue mask with a red-eye mask on top. It also displayed the words ''Minister of Defense'' and ''Never Give Up.''

''When I showed it to my children, they really liked it,'' Perez added.

Professional wrestlers who wear them in Mexico are aware of the euphoria surrounding the marks outside the ring.

''It's no secret that where you see a person wearing a mask, you see a Mexican," professional wrestler Magnus said. "You see it in soccer and baseball. People wear masks because that's what characterizes us.

''It's a great gesture that lucha libre is crossing borders. It's a sign of respect because they see us as heroes and it also helps them express their emotions.''

Zúñiga's factory made the masks for Perez, Verstappen and Russell and more work is coming her way.

''I've already had special requests for the World Cup, there are several designs that we are working on. We've ordered certain fabrics to make special products, special models for the World Cup,'' Zúñiga said. ''I cannot show them to you, but they are going to be very special''.