Mexico to Host World Cup for a Third Time

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum celebrated that her country will make history by becoming the only nation to host three editions of the FIFA World Cup. "We are proud, proud to receive the World Cup for the third time. Mexico is an extraordinary, beautiful, magical country, and millions will visit our nation," Sheinbaum said. This comes after U.S. President Donald Trump indicated on Wednesday that he might let the USMCA trade agreement with Mexico and Canada expire and seek a new trade deal with his neighbors. The leaders of the three host nations—U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney—met for the first time at the ceremony, where they drew lots for the World Cup groups. Mexico is in Group A, Canada in Group B, and the U.S. in Group D. "We have a meeting scheduled for some time after the event. We will talk today," Trump said. Sheinbaum noted that Mexicans have enjoyed "the ball game since ancestral times," alluding to the sports of Mesoamerican pre-Columbian peoples. Carney, for his part, will try to rebuild relations with his neighbor after Trump suspended trade negotiations in October in retaliation for a Canadian TV ad against U.S. tariffs.