The mood in Mexico City last Thursday night, after a 2-0 win over South Africa in the opening game of the World Cup, was gleeful. Fans crowded around the Angel of Independence, and Calle Río Sena was not merely rammed but carried the smell of urine and spilled beer that tends to characterise mass celebrations. The big roundabout at Insurgentes, where the night before a Beatles tribute act had entertained students, was packed with green shirts. And yet there was a sense that something was missing.

This was in Roma Norte, a relatively wealthy area an hour or so north of the Azteca, and it was notable how many of the shirts seemed box-fresh. A significant proportion of those there were Mexicans who lived in the US. A persistent theme over the first few days of the tournament is how the fans who regularly go to Liga MX games have been priced out. A few minutes from the stadium, in a simple bar just off Avenida del Imán, where the tables were upturned barrels and a sweating teenager grilled burritos on a hot plate, the mood was slightly more ambivalent. Couples danced in the street outside, and there was a general sense of relief. After a group-stage exit in 2022, Mexico can at least now be relatively sure of making the last 32. And there was delight for Raúl Jiménez who, in his fourth World Cup, finally scored his first goal. But there were also two gripes.

Firstly, and probably most significantly, that it felt an overly Mexican event. For a World Cup, there was not much evidence of the world. Yellow shirts in the stadium were notable for their paucity – which, given cost, perhaps is not surprising. One South African family, who lived in the US, described paying $1,000 each for their tickets. A number of Mexicans have spoken over the past few days of wishing they could have hosted Scotland or the Netherlands, or that Ireland had qualified. There is a desire for that mixing of fan groups that represents the World Cup at its best. Colombia have since begun to offer at least some of that in Mexico City as their fans arrive for the game against Uzbekistan.

The big hope, though, is for Thursday night in Guadalajara, where Mexico face South Korea. Fans of the two countries have shared a warm relationship since the 2018 World Cup, when South Korea’s unexpected 2-0 victory over Germany in their final group game put Mexico into the last 16. Amid the celebrations in Mexico City, South Korea’s ambassador was carried shoulder-high along the street in front of the embassy as local fans chanted, “¡Coreano, hermano, ya eres mexicano!” – “Korean, brother, you are Mexican now!” The chant has been resurrected in Guadalajara, where South Korea beat Czechia 2-1 in their first group game. When a group of Korean fans visited the wrestling, the arena DJ played Gangnam Style to welcome them. Mexican social media has been flooded with videos of Guadalajarans and Koreans performing PSY’s horse dance together.

The other concern surrounds how Mexico played. Their early dominance against a weirdly passive South Africa perhaps created unjustified expectation, but in the 17 minutes between Sphephelo Sithole’s red card and the second goal there was booing from the stands. It was not universal, by any means, but it was discernible, stemming from a longer-term frustration at Javier Aguirre’s perceived negativity.

One change will be forced on Aguirre with the captain César Montes suspended after his late red card in the opener. Edson Álvarez, who spent last season on loan at Fenerbahce from West Ham, looks likely to replace him in the heart of the back four. But there could be two other changes, with Jorge Sánchez seemingly set to come in for Israel Reyes at right-back and the 17-year-old Gil Mora, who came off the bench against South Africa, perhaps replacing Brian Gutiérrez at the front of the midfield.

A final training session in Mexico City on grass that, at Aguirre’s insistence, replicates the turf in Guadalajara was interrupted by a storm, meaning the squad was delayed in setting off for the flight to Guadalajara on Tuesday. About a dozen fans turned out to see them off. One of them, María Isabel Castro, clutched a homemade sign reading: “Effort and courage, always forward, may God always watch over and protect you.” She felt Mexico had been insufficiently “brave” against South Africa and was frustrated that Aguirre had insisted on closed training, accusing him of shutting out fans who cannot afford tickets.

Much of the buildup to the opening game centred on protests from a wide cross-section of society, from teachers to retired judges to the families of Mexico’s 134,000 disappeared, and the possible disruption that might cause, and there was also anxiety about how Mexico might perform. The buildup to their second game, though, has tended to focus on the party most seem to be expecting in Guadalajara. Working from home has been mandated, and schools closed in both Mexico City and Guadalajara. It feels as though for many in Mexico, last Thursday was a ceremonial occasion and this Thursday is when the World Cup really begins.