The Bank of Mexico (Banxico) has released 12 commemorative coins to mark the FIFA World Cup 2026, blending soccer imagery with some of Mexico’s most iconic landmarks — and some are already in circulation.
The collection, released by the Mexican Mint, includes four bimetallic coins for everyday use and eight struck in precious metals — four gold and four silver. Nine of the 12 coins are dedicated to Mexico’s three host cities — Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey — while three more celebrate the country’s natural, historical and cultural heritage.
The release honors a special occasion: Mexico will become the first country to host three World Cups, and Azteca Stadium — temporarily rebranded as Mexico City Stadium — will once again host an opening match. Mexico’s 1986 coin collection is today highly prized by collectors, a fact that appears to be driving fierce collector interest in this new series.
Designs rooted in Mexican identity
The dodecagonal bimetallic coins carry a face value of 20 pesos and feature host-city landmarks: Mexico City’s Column of Independence, Guadalajara’s Minerva statue and a coin depicting a jaguar surrounded by monarch butterflies, agaves and nopal cacti. The gold and silver collector coins depict the Templo Mayor, the Palacio de Bellas Artes, the Monument to the Revolution and Chichén Itzá’s Pyramid of Kukulkán, as well as La Calavera Garbancera — the José Guadalupe Posada illustration behind the beloved Catrina figure.
Specs and where to find them
Gold coins carry a face value of 25 pesos and contain a quarter troy ounce of 0.999 gold; silver coins have a face value of 10 pesos and contain one troy ounce of 0.999 silver. Real-world prices will far exceed face value — silver coins are expected to fetch upward of 1,000 pesos, with gold pieces reaching considerably more. The bimetallic coins entered circulation on May 18 through regular bank channels, while gold and silver pieces will be sold through authorized distributors including the Mexican Mint and Mexico City’s Interactive Museum of the Economy (MIDE).
With reports from El País
Portions of this story were drafted with assistance from Claude. The article has been revised and fact-checked by a Mexico News Daily staff editor.
