The Mexican government has presented its strategy to turn this summer's World Cup soccer tournament into an engine to strengthen trade, sports, tourism, and culture in the country where most of the games will be hosted. The Mexico 2026 Social World Cup project includes cultural events like soccer matches between robots, a public transit plan, and a new app where fans can sell securely sell any tickets they can't use.
During a conference last week, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that the intention is “to leave a sporting legacy in our country that goes beyond the competition itself.”
“[In this World Cup] the eyes of the world will be here,” Sheinbaum said, “and what they will see is a great country with an enormous cultural heritage. They will see that we are building a nation that is fairer, freer, and more democratic.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in Mexico, the United States and Canada next June and July. The proposal for the Social World Cup project includes more than 177 parties and 5,000 activities related to the event, as well as 74 tournaments and soccer cups aimed at students, workers, and the general public. It will also include close to 1,500 actions within the Vive Saludable program (which promotes healthy lifestyles) and the rehabilitation of 4,200 public sports fields and spaces.
The plan also aims to break three Guinness World Records: the “Largest Soccer Shirt Human Image,” the “Largest Soccer Class,” and the “Largest Soccer Mural.” A robotics world cup will also be organized in which autonomous robots, programmed and designed by national and international high school and undergraduate students, will participate. The call for the latter competition was opened on November 28, and all matches will be broadcast in the Mexican venues in real time.
Get to Know Mexico
Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico, during the presentation of the "Mexico 2026 Social World Cup" plan, a federal initiative that sets the guidelines to host the next FIFA World Cup. Cortesía Presidencia de México/Juan Carlos Buenrostro
Among the actions presented is the creation of the “Conoce México” app; the name is Spanish for “Get to Know Mexico.” The app was developed jointly by the the country's Agency for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications and the Ministry of Tourism. According to the authorities, it will have an intuitive and accessible interface that will allow fans, both local and foreign, to consult updated information on matches, venues, routes, services, and cultural activities.