Portuguese 
Spanish 
Cafeteria in Mexico City consoles fans of eliminated teams with free coffee, flags of the defeated, and lots of good humor during the World Cup.
The 2026 World Cup also became a setting for curious stories outside the stadiums. In Mexico City, a cafeteria decided to welcome those who left the tournament along the way.
In the Condesa neighborhood, the Losers Cafe, known in Portuguese as Café dos Perdedores, started receiving fans of eliminated teams.
The proposal is simple and humorous: anyone who shows up wearing the jersey of a defeated team gets a free drink.
-
Elon Musk, the world’s first trillionaire, builds a SpaceX-led city in Texas with employee housing and a public beach along the rocket path to Mars.
-
Coastal City in Brazil Plans to Revive 1990s Cable Car as New Tourist Attraction Amid Major Infrastructure Developments
-
Brazilian Weight Loss Pens by Eurofarma Launch Nationwide at More Affordable Prices Than Competitors
-
In 2005, a 21-year-old British student raised over a million dollars by selling a million pixels on a webpage for one dollar each.
According to Reuters, the action was created to ease the frustration of those who saw their country eliminated from the competition.
The space turns the sadness of defeat into a collective, light, and fun experience.
Free coffee for those who fell by the wayside
Small flags of the eliminated teams are placed every day at the entrance of the cafeteria.
The gesture indicates which fans are being welcomed at that moment.
Inside the establishment, the details reinforce the joke.
Napkins with the message “dry your tears” complete the humorous consolation atmosphere.
The defeat ceases to be just frustration and becomes shared among people who experience the same feeling.
Fans find solace after elimination
The photographer Monse Aguilar, 24, found comfort in the place after South Africa’s elimination.
The South African team lost 1-0 to Canada, a result that ended their participation in the Cup.
Monse described the experience as “a hug for the heart after losing” while enjoying the drink offered by the house.
The phrase sums up the café’s proposal.
The idea is not to celebrate defeat but to turn the end of the dream into a less lonely moment.
From traditional café to Losers Cafe
The initiative was born from a campaign by Oatly, a Swedish brand of dairy alternatives.
The company invited Ian Infante, owner of the traditional Compay Café, to put the action into practice.
During the Cup, the establishment was temporarily transformed into the Losers Cafe.
Infante, a native of Venezuela, stated that he quickly identified with the proposal.
As an immigrant, he said he understands the feeling of displacement left by a sports elimination.
He saw the idea as a way to create a welcoming space for fans who were left out of the celebration.
Proposal caused initial confusion
The light tone of the campaign was not immediately understood by everyone.
According to Infante, some people reacted by saying: “I am not a loser”.
Explaining the concept helped change visitors’ perceptions.
Many began to see the initiative with good humor.
The campaign also brought together fans from different countries, creating a meeting point for those who needed to laugh at their own disappointment.
Mexican humor helped the campaign gain strength
According to Rocio de la Cuadra Diaz, market developer for Oatly in Mexico, the choice of the Mexican capital was no accident.
The campaign was launched in Mexico City due to the brand’s growth in Latin America.
The sense of humor of Mexicans was also considered essential for the action to work.
According to Rocio, creating a café for losers in Mexico made sense because the country almost always lost.
The phrase, said in a joking tone, gained even more strength during the World Cup.
Mexico dreamed big again in the Cup
The joke changed context during the competition.
After achieving their first victory in a World Cup knockout stage in 40 years, Mexico dreamed again of a historic campaign.
The fans of El Tri await the match against England in the round of 16.
The Losers’ Café remains ready to welcome those who bid farewell to the tournament.
If elimination comes, at least there will be coffee, consolation, and a good dose of Mexican humor.
A defeat can turn into a meeting
The action shows how the World Cup is also made of frustrations, farewells, and curious stories outside the stadiums.
In this case, the defeat became a reason to create a connection between strangers.
The free coffee doesn’t change the score, but it helps turn the elimination into a less bitter memory.
And you, would you have a coffee at the Losers’ Café after seeing your team eliminated from the Cup? Share your opinion!
