The San Francisco 49ers were technically the road team in their game against the Arizona Cardinals at Estadio Azteca on Monday night, but the fans made them feel right at home as they cruised to a 38-10 win over one of their division rivals.
A reported 78,427 fans were in attendance on Monday, with most of them cheering on the 49ers. The players heard those fans loud and clear and appreciated every minute of it.
"That was one of the coolest atmospheres I've ever played in," defensive end Nick Bosa said, per Tracy Sandler of Fangirl Sports Network.
The crowd helped propel the 49ers to one of their most dominant performances of the season. The 49ers put together six scoring drives against the Cardinals Monday night while holding their opponent scoreless in the second half for the third consecutive game. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had one of his best games of the year, completing 20 of 29 passes for 228 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. Garoppolo was visibly fired up when he interacted with the fans after the game.
Jimmy was STOKED after this onepic.twitter.com/z878zRx6ZY
— KNBR (@KNBR) November 22, 2022
"It was electric," Garoppolo said (via Sandler).
Two of Garoppolo's touchdowns went to tight end George Kittle, who was undoubtedly in his element in Mexico City. Kittle was gifted a 49ers-themed luchador mask from Mexican wrestler Pentagon Jr. before the game, then said afterwards he'd like to play another game in Estadio Azteca eventually.
"I hope we have a chance to come back here because the atmosphere was amazing," Kittle said, per 95.7 The Game.
The night was also special for linebacker Fred Warner, who was chosen to carry a Mexican flag when the 49ers took the field before the game. Warner grew up close to the Mexican border and has Mexican roots in his family, so the chance to play a game in Mexico City isn't something he'll soon forget.
"Electric," Warner told 49ers.com after the game. "Goosebumps. So special. I'm going to remember this forever."
The 49ers return to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara next week for a Sunday game against the New Orleans Saints. They'll surely be happy to be back home, but they also found a home away from home on Monday night in Mexico City. It's anyone's guess when the 49ers will be able to return to Estadio Azteca, but they know they'll have a friendly reception waiting for them whenever they get the opportunity.
"I love San Francisco but if we couldn't be there I'd love to be here," head coach Kyle Shanahan said, per Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group. "This place is awesome. It was one of the coolest experiences I've ever been a part of. We were told it might be like that but it was better than I expected."