Why Is Mexico's Soccer Team Called "El Tri"? Here's the Surprisingly Simple Explanation

When the world's best soccer teams, or football as most of the world calls them, get together, fans get to enjoy a wide variety of jersey colors, traditions, battle cries, and team antics. This includes some fun nicknames for teams and team members, some known worldwide, and a few that are borderline inappropriate.

If you're a fan of Mexico's soccer team, you already know that they're called "El Tri." Luckily, it's one of the tamer "world of soccer" nicknames.

But the question is: Why are they called that? Here's what we know about the meaning behind the "El Tri" nickname and the stunning blow the team was dealt in 2023 after they lost the right to call their team by the favored nickname.

In Spanish, "el tri" translates to "the trio" or "the three." And the meaning behind this nickname is pretty simple. The Mexican flag, like many flags, consists of three colors: green, white, and red.

The three colors are aligned vertically across the field of the flag, and a golden eagle stands in the middle of the white stripe.

So when people refer to "El Tri," it's a reference to the three colors on the Mexican flag.

According to the YouTube channel @Magical Mexico Moments, which marks important events and traditions in Mexican history, the "El Tri" nickname was first used in 1956.

Throughout the years, the team's jerseys have often featured some combination of these three colors, which are often tied closely to Mexican heritage.

Starting in 1930, the Mexican soccer team wore red jerseys. But by the late 1950s, the team colors had changed to green and white, with red socks to round out the trio. Although the jersey colors change frequently, this homage to the flag's three colors has stuck with the team, earning the "El Tri" nickname.

Unfortunately for the team, however, they lost the right to use the "El Tri" nickname commercially after a lawsuit in 2023.

The disappointing news came after singer Alex Lora sued the team for copyright infringement, claiming that they were using the name of his music group, El Tri, to make money.

In 2023, Alex sued for the use of the name and won, meaning that the Mexican soccer team could no longer use the nickname for commercial purposes moving forward (via BolaVIP).

Or at least, if they want to use it, they need authorization from Alex.

While it was a devastating blow to those who run the team, fans were relatively unbothered by it. After all, they can continue calling the team "El Tri" all they want. The team just can't make money off the nickname.

And judging by the fervor with which fans use the nickname, they aren't stopping any time soon. The meaning behind the nickname may be simple, but it has settled in the hearts of fans forever.