There is no tailgating here, but the stadium tacos aren’t bad. Nobody cries “Gooooool!” at a big score, but the “touch” in “Touchdown!” gets more gusto. Instead of billion-dollar television deals, the games are limited to local TV and streamed on an internet site. And whatever signing bonus these players have in their future will probably come not from the N.F.L. but from the law firms and businesses many are headed to after graduation.

The addiction to the other fútbol — “fútbol soccer,” as people make the distinction here — is better known in this country. But the fever for American football — “fútbol americano” — feeds a vibrant subculture rooted in college teams that attract thousands of fans and players for the Tigres (Tigers), the Potros (Colts), the Aztecas (Aztecs), the Pumas, the Águilas (Eagles) and one of the oldest and most winning teams, the Borregos Salvajes (Rams.)

“The big difference with the Americans is size and speed, in which they have an advantage over us,” Carranza, 23, said, explaining the appeal. “But here we play with heart.”

On Monday, the N.F.L., picking up on the American football passion here, will play its first regular-season game in Mexico in 11 years, the Houston Texans versus the Oakland Raiders at the famed Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

The game, the first Monday Night Football contest to be played outside the United States, is sold out, with 76,000 expected to attend.