PHotoESPAÑA and the Casa de México Foundation present "Mexico 86. The world united by a ball", by Annie Leibovitz

2026/06/19

PHotoESPAÑA and the Casa de México Foundation in Spain present Mexico 86: The World United by a Ball, Annie Leibovitz's iconic series of photographs taken in Mexico for the 1986 FIFA World Cup, as part of the Official Selection of the international photography and visual arts festival. Curated by Héctor Orozco, the exhibition features thirteen photographs and will be on free admission until September 20, 2026, coinciding with the celebration of the new FIFA World Cup.

One of the most innovative aspects of that edition was precisely Leibovitz's participation: the organizing committee commissioned her to create a series of images that linked football with Mexico's historical and cultural heritage, breaking with the tradition of illustrated posters from previous World Cups. The photographer traveled throughout the country for six months and worked at emblematic archaeological sites such as Chichen Itza, Teotihuacan, and Tula, where she used models to create scenes that fused the movement of football with the monumental grandeur of Mesoamerican civilizations.

One of those images ended up becoming the official World Cup poster: the Atlantes of Tula backlit, with a soccer ball and the projected silhouette of a player in action. It was the first time that an official World Cup poster was based on a photograph rather than an illustration or painting. The campaign sought to present Mexico not only as a sporting host, but also as the heir to one of the oldest cultural traditions in the Americas.

The full program, schedules and updated information can be found on the official PHotoESPAÑA website.