Mexican designer turns soccer jerseys into cultural storytelling for World Cup

As the 2026 World Cup drew closer, Mexican designer Hugo Rosas used soccer jerseys as a canvas for a larger argument about identity. Working with his brother Andrés near Mexico City, Rosas built shirts for his brand Mexclart that drew from papel picado, traditional folk art and pre-Hispanic imagery, turning performance wear into a statement about who gets to define Mexican culture on a global stage.

The latest collection, Calados del Alma, was designed to reflect Mexican identity rather than simply sell sportswear. One of the earliest pieces featured Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent deity revered by several ancient Mexican civilizations, placing a figure from pre-Hispanic history at the center of a modern soccer garment. The brand’s aim was twofold: to make Mexicans feel pride in their own visual heritage and to present a different image of the country to the outside world as the tournament approaches.

The clothes are built with the craft demands of that message in mind. Rosas and Andrés use polyester so the material can be cut in ways that mimic papel picado without tearing, giving the jerseys the layered look of festival decorations while preserving durability. From concept to completion, a piece can take up to three weeks, and the sewing and cutting alone can require eight to 10 hours. The time investment underlines that these are not novelty items but labor-intensive objects built to carry cultural meaning.

Calados del Alma also extends work the brothers had already begun in an earlier line, Ofrenda Viva, which referenced Day of the Dead and the idea of honoring the departed through celebration rather than sorrow. Across both collections, the design language points back to ritual, memory and public display. Rosas said his goal was to create garments that resonate with traditions and celebrations, while Andrés described the work as rooted in a pre-Hispanic worldview.

That tension, between commerce and cultural ownership, is what gives the project its force. The World Cup will put Mexico’s imagery in front of a global audience, and designers like Rosas are competing to shape what that image looks like. In his hands, the soccer jersey becomes more than team merchandise. It becomes a site where ancestral symbols, national pride and modern design meet before the tournament even begins.