President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, confirmed that she will not attend the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will take place at the Azteca Stadium in the Mexican capital. The head of state reiterated at a press conference that she will cede her ticket to the opening match to an indigenous girl passionate about football, as it is “the opportunity” for those who do not have access to this type of event and something that “transforms lives”.Similarly, she informed that she has not yet decided whether to attend the official draw on December 5 for the 2026 World Cup, as reported by the Argentine News Agency through Xinhua. This is because the necessary diplomatic and security protocols must still be established, and she must also verify if her schedule allows it.Regarding her counterparts from other nations, Sheinbaum commented that it is still not known who would attend, including from the other two host countries, represented by the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, and the President of the United States, Donald Trump. She also did not know that the President of Argentina, Javier Milei, has already announced that he will not attend, as it was reported in Buenos Aires that this is due to his fight with the leadership of the AFA.“It is still too early to be able to know which heads of state would come and what reception we would give them,” reiterated the Mexican president.Programming of the opening match and details of the championshipThe opening match will take place on June 11, 2026, at the Azteca Stadium, one of Mexico's most iconic football venues in the world.In the 2026 edition, there will be 48 teams from different nations competing in 104 matches over 39 days, with a global audience estimated at 6 billion viewers.For Mexico specifically, it will be a historic event, as it will become the first country to host three editions of the World Cup, after the 1970 and 1986 World Cups.The FIFA World Cup 2026 will feature 13 matches in Mexican territory, distributed among the stadiums of Mexico City, Monterrey (north), and Guadalajara (west).
