Diego Luna on FIFA: corruption has painted football completely
Mexican star Diego Luna says corruption has completely painted football, linking FIFA power plays to the expanded World Cup 2026 while promoting Netflix drama México 86. In a Fotogramas interview, he argued economic and political interests now override the beautiful idea of eleven versus eleven, where even the weakest can win.
The comments land as fans track celebrity takes on the tournament and the business behind it. For more star-driven headlines, see our Celebrity Breaking News hub.
Key Takeaways
- Diego Luna told Fotogramas that corruption has completely painted football.
- He links World Cup 2026's bigger field and three-host format to money-and-power patterns he sees in México 86.
- In Gabriel Ripstein's Netflix film, Luna plays Martín de la Torre, a Mexican football federation climber willing to do anything to land a World Cup.
- He still tipped Mexico to win the 2026 tournament — and joked he hoped not to face Spain in a final.
- Separately, his directed film Ceniza en la boca is set for San Sebastián's Horizontes Latinos section in September 2026.
What did Diego Luna say about FIFA and World Cup 2026?
Asked about a sport born in neighborhoods yet stained by graft, Luna did not soften the line. "I believe that, in reality, corruption has completely painted football," he said, pointing to how economic and political interests overtake the simple beauty of the game.
He argued that today's World Cup "has a lot to do with what happened then" in 1986. México 86, he noted, helped make the tournament more global after Spain 1982 grew the field from 16 to 24 teams — and with that scale came a bigger business, plus TV involvement from the start of the organization.
Now, he said, World Cup 2026 grows again with more teams and matches across three countries, plus what he called a historical FIFA debt to the United States and "many crossed interests." Looking back, he added, shows the parallels: "Corruption has always been there."
Why does Netflix's México 86 shape his critique?
Luna stars as Martín de la Torre in México 86, Gabriel Ripstein's Netflix film about the push to bring a second World Cup to Mexico. He rejected the idea that the ends justify the means, calling the movie a deep critique of a man who will do anything for the federation — a metaphor, he said, for PRI-style power that changes faces but not structure.
The character loves football, Luna said, yet uses that love to hide darker aims. He also recalled childhood football in Mexico City streets and the 1985 earthquake near the Olympic Stadium, framing how a World Cup can rebuild mood after disaster before institutions get drunk on power.
Where is Diego Luna headed next on the festival circuit?
Beyond the football drama, Luna returns to San Sebastián with Ceniza en la boca, his migration story about siblings traveling from Mexico to Madrid. The Hollywood Reporter and El Mañana report it will compete in Horizontes Latinos at the 74th festival (18–26 September 2026), after a special Cannes screening.
Asked for a 2026 World Cup prediction, Luna kept it simple: Mexico as champions. Asked about a final against Spain, he laughed it off — he would rather visit Spain again without that matchup.