Soccer is deeply ingrained in Mexican culture. As the national team progresses in the World Cup, fans celebrate passionately across the country.

The origins of this enthusiasm trace back to a region about two hours northeast of Mexico City. In the early 19th century, miners from Cornwall, England, arrived in Hidalgo State to revitalize the Mexican mining industry. They also introduced soccer.

The debate centers on which specific location within this mountainous area, known as Mexico’s Little Cornwall, holds the title of the birthplace of Mexican soccer. Mineral del Monte, a town with a population of 16,000, is one claimant.

Mineral del Monte, nearly 9,000 feet above sea level, maintains its Cornish heritage. Historical plaques and paintings near an old silver mine commemorate its place in soccer history. A painting declares, “Soccer in Mexico was born in a place close to the heavens: Real de Monte,” referring to the town by its colonial name.

One plaque claims the first game happened in the courtyards of the Dolores Mine. The town features reminders of this heritage. A bakery selling Cornish-style pasties with local adaptations like mole or beans declares Mineral del Monte “the cradle of Mexican soccer.” An alleyway celebrating soccer calls it “the seed and root of soccer in Mexico.”

Despite these assertions, the nearby city of Pachuca presents itself as a rival claimant. The story of soccer’s origins continues to be a subject of discussion among enthusiasts.

The inhabitants of Mineral del Monte cherish their town’s soccer legacy through stories passed down through generations.