Finance Minister Edgar Amador challenged the IMF's downgrade of Mexico's growth prospects, expressing confidence that Mexico will outperform the IMF's forecast, just as it did last year. (Mario Jasso / Cuartoscuro.com)
Citing “uncertainties,” the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lowered its growth forecast for Mexico, prompting Finance Minister Edgar Amador to respond by expressing confidence that the economy will outperform IMF projections.
In a World Economic Outlook update, the U.N.-linked financial institution lowered Mexico’s growth outlook for this year to 1.2% from the 1.6% it predicted in its April report.
It also reduced the 2027 growth forecast for Mexico, Latin America’s second-largest economy, to 1.9%, down from the 2.2% estimated three months ago.
The IMF wrote that uncertainties continue to hold back economic activity in Mexico, but Amador pointed out that the revision presented by the IMF was not due to domestic factors.
“It was a global downward revision to the IMF’s estimates for world economies resulting from the shock to the energy market caused by tensions in the Persian Gulf,” he said.
The report was made public the same day U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters he was ending the cease-fire agreement with Iran following renewed hostilities between Iran and the United States.
The IMF said “[r]isks to the [global] outlook are more balanced than in April but still tilted to the downside. The possibility of renewed Middle East conflict looms large and could extend commodity price volatility, further threaten supply chains, raise prices and weigh on financial conditions.”
Amador, who a day earlier had pointed to another UN-connected agency’s report that Mexico is among the top 10 globally in attracting Foreign Direct Investment, also noted that the IMF’s initial estimates for Mexico’s economy for 2025 turned out to be overly pessimistic and the results — the economy grew 0.5% in 2025 — were closer to the government’s projections.
Once again, IMF forecasts are more circumspect than those of the Mexican government, which has estimated growth of 1.8% to 2.8% for this year and projects growth of between 1.9% and 2.9% for 2027.
While forecasting stable growth in Latin America and the Caribbean with moderate acceleration next year, the IMF said economic growth in Mexico “is projected to accelerate modestly amid less restrictive domestic policies, but uncertainty will continue to constrain activity.”
The update places Mexico below the estimated growth for Latin America, which is expected to increase by 2.4% in 2026 and 2.7% in 2027.
It also sees global growth rising above baseline if tangible progress is made in international negotiations and domestic policy agendas, while adding that current challenges demand nimble and credible policies.
One comment in the report that is particularly relevant for Mexico refers to trade pacts, which the IMF insists “could lower tariffs and revive investment that has been delayed by an uncertain external environment.”
Mexico has just this month begun to deal with the consequences of the U.S. decision to not renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement in its current form. The necessity of negotiating annual reviews of the pact puts key industries — such as the automotive sector, Mexico’s leading economic driver, generating over US $100 billion in annual exports — and new investment in limbo.
After another heartbreaking round of 16 loss at the World Cup, Rafael Márquez is taking over as head coach of El Tri for the 2030 World Cup cycle. (Rogelio Morales Ponce / Cuartoscuro.com)
The Mexican Soccer Federation (FMF) officially appointed former defender Rafael Márquez to serve as El Tri’s head coach in the build-up to the 2030 World Cup on Wednesday, succeeding former head coach Javier Aguirre.
Márquez’s appointment is part of Mexico’s Sports Project 2030, which aims to transition the national team into a younger side before the 2030 championships with an emphasis on youth development.
“Rafael Márquez’s appointment is part of an orderly transition outlined in the FMF’s institutional vision,” the FMF said in a statement July 8. “The move aims to build upon the work accomplished during the previous World Cup cycle, strengthen the Mexican National Team’s sporting development, and prepare the squad for upcoming international commitments.”
Márquez played in 148 caps for Mexico from 1997-2018 and is widely regarded as the best defender in El Tri’s history. He played in five World Cups and won two CONCACAF Gold Cups in 2003 and 2011. His final match for Mexico came at the 2018 World Cup in a round of 16 loss to Brazil.
Mexico exceeded expectations in 2026, earning all nine group stage points for the first time with wins over South Africa, South Korea and Czechia. Breakout stars included Julian Quiñones, who tied Mexico’s record for most goals in a single tournament thanks to four successful shots. Also of note was the presence of 17-year-old Gilberto Mora — the youngest player at the World Cup and an early product of Mexico’s Project 2030 — who received his high school diploma after returning from the championships July 8.
La continuidad de una historia, con un proyecto a largo plazo y de transición.
Hoy inicia una nueva etapa para nuestra Selección junto a ti, Rafa.
— Selección Nacional (@miseleccionmx) July 8, 2026
Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0 in the round of 32 for its first knockout stage win in 40 years, securing its fourth World Cup win at a single tournament for the first time ever. They bowed out in the round of 16 in a competitive 3-2 loss to powerhouse England.
Aguirre and Márquez helped lead Mexico to titles in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Nations League in 2025. Aguirre stepped down following the 2026 World Cup, completing his third stretch leading Mexico after stints from 2001-2002 and 2009-2010.
“The Mexican National Team extends its deepest gratitude to Javier Aguirre for his professionalism, leadership, and dedication throughout this cycle,” the FMF said. “His legacy will endure as part of Mexican soccer history and as a testament to the pride involved in defending our country’s colors.”
Leading Mexico will be Márquez’s first senior coaching role. His initial coaching gig was with the Alcalá youth program in Spain. He moved up to coaching Barcelona Atlètic, the B team for historic club FC Barcelona, from 2022 to 2024 before joining Aguirre’s staff.
Márquez excelled as a player at the club level, playing 163 caps for FC Barcelona from 2003 to 2010, helping them win four La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies in that span. He played in 110 games for Monaco from 1999-2003 after starting his club career with Atlas FC in Guadalajara in 1996.
He came back to Mexico in 2012, winning two Liga MX titles with Club León before finally finishing his playing career with Atlas, his boyhood club.
The 2030 World Cup will be hosted in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Qualifying for the 35 affiliated CONCACAF teams will start in September 2027, a process that Mexico avoided in 2026 by being a host nation.
Jared Tucker is a summer intern at Mexico News Daily in San Miguel de Allende and a rising senior at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he is the sports editor for The Daily UW. He was previously a fellow at TheFulcrum.us, where he covered public participation in American democracy.
David Pablos directed "En el camino" ("On the Road"), which led the pack with 13 nominations, including for Best Picture and Best Director. (Edgar Negrete Lira / Cuartoscuro.com)
Presented annually since 1946, the Ariels recognizes artistic and technical excellence in the Mexican film industry. The 2026 Ariel Awards presentation is scheduled for Oct. 3 in Mexico City, but the Academy has yet to confirm which platform or channel will broadcast the ceremony.
Documentary filmmaker Demetrio Bilbatúa (91) and actress Rosita Arenas (92), two luminaries from Mexican cinema’s Golden Age, will be on hand to receive their lifetime achievement awards (Golden Ariels) at the Ariel Awards ceremony on October 3. (AMACC)
Last year, the event took place in Puerto Vallarta and was available on HBO Max.
“Every year, we see better and better cinema,” said Daniel Hidalgo, president of the AMACC. “But we now face greater challenges, such as young people relying on cell phones rather than going to movie theaters, competition from streaming platforms and concerns about how AI will change cinema.”
The film “En el camino” (“On the Road”), co-produced by Diego Luna and directed by David Pablos, garnered 13 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, while the film’s star Osvaldo Sánchez earned a Best Actor nomination.
The movie portrays the love between a truck driver and a young man and, due to the content, received a “C” rating, meaning it is intended for viewers 18 and older.
“Aún es de noche en Caracas” (“It’s Still Night in Caracas”) earned the second most nominations with nine. This film — an adaptation of Karina Sainz Borgo’s novel “The Spanish Woman’s Daughter” — tells the story of Adelaida who, after burying her mother, finds her home invaded by armed militia while Venezuelan society collapses around her.
The newspaper Infobae reported that Mexico City’s Ibero-American University “positioned itself as a breeding ground for talent in the national film industry,” as three recent alumni earned nominations.
Ernesto Martínez Bucio co-authored and directed “El diablo fuma” (“The Devil Smokes”), his first feature film. It will be competing in the Best Picture, Best First Feature, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing categories, as well as three acting categories.
Martínez’s film centers on five siblings abandoned by their parents who must learn to survive while in the care of their paranoid schizophrenic grandmother.
Sebastián Molina Ruiz is competing in The Best Short Documentary category with “Toda la vida para siempre” (“All My Life Forever”), an anthology of dreams from people who had to leave their homes only to find themselves in Europe, where no one speaks the same language and no one understands each other.
Juan María León Piña was nominated in the Best Animated Short Film category with “Te Prometo Violencia” (“I Promise You Violence”).
All the nominees are announced in the video below.
Netflix reaffirmed its strategic role in the national film industry by securing a total of 13 nominations, with “Aún es de noche en Caracas” leading the way.
Actress Rosita Arenas and documentary filmmaker Demetrio Bilbatúa are this year’s recipients of the Golden Ariel.
Arenas, 92, one of the last divas of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, acted in nearly 50 films, including features starring alongside Pedro Infante and Cantinflas.
Bilbatúa, 91, boasts an extensive filmography, including more than 1,000 documentaries, over a 50-year career that began in 1954. The book “Demetrio Bilbatúa: Witness to Mexico” mentions 589 films.
Isla Tiburón, located in the Gulf of California off the coast of Sonora, is Mexico's largest island. The desert island is a natural protected area and part of the territory of the Comcaac (Seri) people. (Steve Marlett, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Among the country’s many islands, which are the largest and which have the highest population?
If you don’t already know, you’ll find out in this week’s “Mexico in Numbers” article!
Mexico’s largest islands
Mexico’s largest island is Isla Tiburón (Shark Island), an uninhabited island in the Gulf of California off the coast of the northern state of Sonora. The area of Isla Tiburón is 1,198.7 square kilometers, according to INEGI.
Thus, Isla Tiburón is just over 20 times larger than the island of Manhattan, New York, whose area is approximately 59 square kilometers.
Mexico’s second largest island is Isla Ángel de la Guarda (Guardian Angel Island), which is also in the Gulf of California. The area of Isla Ángel de la Guarda, located off the eastern coast of Baja California, is 930.4 square kilometers. The island is around 16 times larger than Manhattan.
Mexico’s third largest island is Cozumel, located in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo. Cozumel’s area is 467.9 kilometers, making it around eight times bigger than Manhattan.
Mexico’s fourth largest island is Isla de Cedros (Island of Cedars), located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California. This inhabited island has an area of 346.9 square kilometers, according to INEGI, making it almost six times larger than Manhattan.
Mexico’s fifth largest island is Cabo Rojo (Red Cape), an island (or coastal barrier) in the Gulf of Mexico off the northern coast of the state of Veracruz. The island, which encloses the Tamiahua Lagoon, has an area of 343.5 square kilometers.
According to INEGI, Mexico’s most populous island is Isla del Carmen, an island that is linked to Mexico’s mainland (in the state of Campeche) by two bridges. At the time of Mexico’s last census in 2020, the population of Isla del Carmen, where the city of Ciudad del Carmen is located, was 191,512. Isla del Carmen is Mexico’s 11th largest island with an area of 103.7 kilometers.
Mexico’s second-most populous island is Cozumel, which had a population of 88,626 in 2020.
The Caribbean island of Cozumel, located across from Playa del Carmen on the mainland, is Mexico’s second-most populous island. (Elizabeth Ruiz / Cuartoscuro.com)
The third-most populous island in Mexico is Isla Mujeres, located off the northern coast of Quintana Roo near Cancún. The island’s population in 2020 was 13,174.
Fourth in terms of number of inhabitants is Isla Aguada, an island that is connected to Isla del Carmen by a bridge. Its population was 7,648 in 2020.
The fifth-most populous island in Mexico is Cabo Rojo, which had a population of 4,104 in 2020.
President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks at her Thursday morning press conference, where her government announced new criminal and civil actions in the United States over deaths of Mexicans in ICE custody. (Presidencia)
Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds
⚖️ Mexico to pursue criminal and civil action over deaths of Mexicans in ICE custody and ICE operations: Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco reported that 17 Mexicans have died in ICE detention centers or ICE operations since the start of the second Trump administration, most recently Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot by an ICE officer in Houston on Tuesday. Velasco said Mexico has sent 11 diplomatic notes of protest and raised the issue with the U.N. and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, but that President Sheinbaum has now instructed officials to take “forceful legal actions,” including criminal complaints filed directly with U.S. state and federal prosecutors and civil cease-and-desist letters against the private companies that operate ICE detention centers.
🗣️ Sheinbaum: complaints will target those responsible for “what we consider to be homicides”: Asked to clarify who the complaints would target, Sheinbaum said the government would file criminal complaints with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices against those responsible for deaths it considers homicides, and separate complaints over human rights violations in other cases where poor detention conditions contributed to deaths. She said her government would do “everything in our hands” to defend Mexicans in the U.S., including those held in privately run ICE facilities.
📉 Annual inflation falls to 3.37% in June: Sheinbaum noted headline inflation continued its decline from a 2026 high of 4.59% in March to 4.45% in April, 3.94% in May and 3.37% in June — just above the Bank of Mexico’s 3% target — calling the June figure “even better” than the estimate she gave the previous day.
Why today’s mañanera matters
President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Thursday morning press conference was significant as Mexico’s foreign affairs minister presented new actions the Mexican government will take in response to the death of Mexican nationals in immigration detention centers in the United States and in operations carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The presentation of the new actions comes two days after a Mexican man was shot and killed by an ICE officer in Houston, Texas.
Sheinbaum has long expressed her opposition to the aggressive deportation campaign the Trump administration has pursued since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House in early 2025. On Wednesday, she said that “the only offense” of Mexicans who have died in ICE detention centers was “not yet” having immigration papers.
On Thursday morning, the federal government once again made it clear that defending the rights of Mexicans in the United States — whether they have legal immigration status or not — is a priority.
Also of note at today’s mañanera was Sheinbaum’s acknowledgement that inflation in Mexico once again declined in June.
Velasco presents new government ‘actions’ in response to the deaths of Mexicans in ICE custody
Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco told reporters that, during the second Trump administration, 17 Mexicans have died in ICE detention centers or in operations carried out by the agency. The most recent death was that of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot by an ICE officer in Houston on Tuesday. A total of 14 Mexicans have died in ICE immigration centers in 2025 and 2026, while three were killed in ICE operations, according to the information presented by Velasco.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot and killed by an ICE agent on Tuesday in Houston. (LULAC Institute via GoFundMe)
The foreign minister said that 58 deaths of foreigners in ICE detention centers have been “publicly reported” in 2025 and 2026.
Velasco noted that the Mexican government has provided a range of assistance and support to the families of Mexicans who have died in the United States under ICE custody. He also highlighted that the government has sent “11 formal diplomatic notes of protest” to the U.S. government, “demanding the clarification of the events” related to the deaths of Mexicans under ICE custody or in ICE operations.
Velasco said that the U.S. government has responded to that communication, telling its Mexican counterpart that investigations are being carried out.
He also said that the Mexican government “formally set out the seriousness of the situation” to U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk during his visit to Mexico in April. Velasco noted that Türk subsequently made a statement on the matter. In late June, the high commissioner “urged prompt action to prevent further loss of life in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and called for independent investigations into all deaths under ICE custody,” according to a U.N. press release.
Velasco also noted that the Mexican government formally asked the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to conduct a review of cases involving the deaths of Mexicans in the custody of ICE.
He subsequently said that “the president has instructed us to commence forceful legal actions to respond to this very painful tragedy we’re going through.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco laid out the Mexican government’s plan for legal action against the parties responsible for the death of Mexicans at the hands of U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). (Presidencia)
Velasco said that the Foreign Affairs Ministry would ask for assistance from the Federal Attorney General’s Office to present criminal complaints in the United States against “whoever is responsible” for the deaths of Mexicans under ICE custody or in ICE operations.
“We’re going to leave the diplomatic domain in order to go directly to U.S. attorney’s offices to file complaints about these events, requesting investigations in the criminal domain,” the foreign minister said.
He also said that the Mexican government would commence “civil actions against companies that operate ICE detention centers. Velasco said the government would send “cease and desist letters” to those companies, asking them to put an end to “actions and conditions” that violate people’s human rights and which “led to the deaths of 14 Mexicans.”
“… These cease and desist letters are a legal mechanism that exists in the United States,” he said.
Velasco also said that the government, along with Mexican civil society organizations, would present a request to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights asking for “the protection of Mexicans in detention centers” in the United States.
In addition, he said that the government would ask Volker Türk, once again, to seek “the protection of Mexicans in ICE detention centers.”
“… Apart from this, naturally we’re going to continue the communication with the [U.S.] Department of State, with the Department of Homeland Security and with different U.S. authorities,” Velasco said.
“The president has asked for that to be a priority,” he said.
La presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum lamentó la muerte de connacionales relacionadas con el ICE, e informó que se presentarán denuncias ante las fiscalías estatales y la fiscalía federal de Estados Unidos. pic.twitter.com/71OusT4HCZ
Velasco said that he had also asked Mexico’s new ambassador to the United States, Roberto Lazzeri, to seek “immediate” meetings with U.S. authorities “to continue attending to this issue.”
He said that the defense of Mexicans in ICE custody is currently “the most important” issue for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The priority of our work is always the defense of the human rights of our compatriots and for that reason we’re initiating these legal actions,” Velasco said.
Sheinbaum: Mexico will file complaints against those responsible for ‘what we consider to be homicides’
A reporter asked the president to clarify against whom the Mexican government will file its criminal complaints in the United States.
Referring to the death of Salgado in Houston on Tuesday, Sheinbaum said that “due to what happened recently — the death of a Mexican in an ICE operation — … we took the decision … to file complaints with state Attorney General’s Offices and the Office of the U.S. Attorney General against whoever turns out to be responsible for what we consider to be homicides [in some cases].”
In “other cases” in which Mexicans have died under ICE custody, complaints will be filed against those responsible for violating their human rights, she said. The Mexican government has asserted that poor conditions in detention centers in the United States and a lack of care for people in ICE custody has caused or at least contributed to the deaths of Mexicans.
Sheinbaum said that her government would do “everything in our hands” to defend Mexicans in the United States.
“We can’t turn a blind eye to Mexicans who have died in ICE operations or who are detained in these detention centers that are operated by private companies contracted by ICE,” she said.
“That’s why we’re undertaking more actions,” Sheinbaum said.
Annual inflation fell to 3.37% in June
Mexico’s inflation rate has steadily dropped in recent months. (Presidencia)
Near the end of her press conference, Sheinbaum noted that Mexico’s annual headline inflation rate fell to 3.37% in March, just above the Bank of Mexico’s 3% target.
Inflation increased in each of the first three months of the year to reach an annual rate of 4.59% in March. Inflation subsequently declined to 4.45% in April, 3.94% in May and 3.37% in June.
The rate in June, Sheinbaum said, is “even better than what we said [it would be] yesterday.”
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
Guadalajara's water system is obsolescent, and requires at least 30 projects of varying scope to fix systemic water quality issues across many parts of the metropolitan area. (Ajaysinh Chauhan/Unsplash)
Based on a new strategy unveiled by the Intermunicipal System of Drinking Water and Sewerage Services (SIAPA) last week, the road to better water quality in the Guadalajara Metro Area (GMA) will be long and expensive. But with receipts now in, local authorities are highlighting some positive (if surprising) economic impacts from tourism tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Jalisco’s strategic plan to improve water quality and access in the Guadalajara Metro
With one in 10 neighborhoods in the GMA experiencing dirty water from water taps and others suffering from service outages, Jalisco state officials announced last week that solving these problems will require infrastructure investment of more than 20 billion pesos (US $1.1 billion), with projects spanning years.
Protestan en Casa Jalisco: exigen a Pablo Lemus alerta sanitaria por agua contaminada con plomo y mercurio pic.twitter.com/kuZ1m0Fg3r
The strategic plan unveiled last week includes more than 30 short, medium and long-term projects intended to address water quality, supply, distribution and sanitation issues across approximately 200 neighborhoods.
As part of this strategy, Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro ordered the creation of a permanent executive committee comprised of different state agencies, for the purpose of coordinating and monitoring the projects’ progress.
Financing is needed, but water system privatization is ruled out
Although the state government confirmed it would seek a financing scheme to pay for the work, there are no details yet on how it would be structured or whether private funding would be sought.
The estimated 20 billion pesos in funding needed for these projects equates to more than three times SIAPA’s annual budget of 6.35 billion pesos. In addition, the public agency is already saddled with a substantial debt, which accounts for 15% of its annual spending.
Chief of Staff of the Government of Jalisco, Alberto Esquer, called on both the federal government and the state congress to contribute funding in support of these essential water projects.
“So far, everything has been done with the state’s own resources, and in less than a year, these actions will allow us to see results in the city’s water quality. To resolve this issue once and for all, at least four additional long-term projects with sufficient resources will be required to guarantee the distribution and supply of quality water for our city,” he told the local press.
This substantial funding gap has given rise to speculation that the public water system might be handed over to private companies. In response, Esquer emphatically denied that privatization was under consideration, insisting that management of SIAPA would remain in government hands. That said, the private sector will be invited to bid on the myriad infrastructure projects the state intends to carry out.
Initial projects are already underway with public funds
The new head of SIAPA, Ismael Jáuregui, announced that the first stage of the program has already kicked off with more than 5 billion pesos in public funds from the state of Jalisco.
Key projects in this phase include expansion and modernization of Water Treatment Plant 1 in Miravalle, which has been operating for 70 years and supplies more than half of the water consumed by the metropolitan area.
Also among these projects is the construction of a new replacement aqueduct between Chapala and Guadalajara, which will guarantee higher quality water, reduce water extraction from Lake Chapala, lessen the environmental impact and optimize pumping costs.
The project also includes the modernization and expansion of Water Treatment Plants 3 and 5 to increase the system’s capacity and meet the growing demand of the metropolitan area.
A long road ahead
A resident of the Nogalera colonia, among the 10% of the GMA with systemic water issues, holds up a bottle of sediment-filled water she collected from her faucet. (Tracy L. Barnett)
While the first phase of infrastructure projects should deliver meaningful improvements for many long-suffering residents, Esquer noted that at least four additional long-term projects will be needed to guarantee both the quantity and quality of water that the GMA now needs.
Finally, Esquer stressed that transformation of the GMA’s hydraulic system would require better coordination between the federal, state and local governments, in addition to citizen participation.
World Cup tourists spent lavishly and boosted Guadalajara’s economy
The economic impact from World Cup games in Zapopan across the state of Jalisco is now estimated at 11.5 billion pesos (US $657 million). This figure came in at the high end of projections, though the factors driving it took local officials by surprise.
According to Gustavo Staufert, Director of the Guadalajara Visitors and Conventions Bureau, “We reached the economic goal, but … the breaking point, for better and for worse, was the price of the tickets at the stadium and the way they were marketed. So the income was extraordinary, but the cost of the ticket meant that a very high-income customer came.”
A World Cup bringing fewer, more affluent tourists resulted in hotel occupancy rates 11% below expectations. However, room rates trended as much as 300% higher than normal — which drove hotel revenues of more than 2.1 billion pesos from an estimated 2.5 million visitors.
But not all businesses benefited equally
By category, luxury hotels in upscale neighborhoods such as Providencia generally did well due to solid demand from foreign tourists, with occupancy rates north of 60% on game days. At the other end of the spectrum, budget-oriented hotels in Guadalajara’s Historic Center suffered occupancy rates of 40% or less on game days, with mostly domestic guests.
Guadalajara enjoyed economic boosts from the World Cup, but for hotels and restaurants, these were not equally distributed. Hotels in the city’s Centro Histórico, for example, saw occupancy rates below 40% on days games were played. (Hotel Doubletree by Hilton)
The story was similar for restaurants. In a survey conducted by the Jalisco delegation of the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Food Industry (Canirac), about 30% of restaurants in the GMA experienced increased sales from the World Cup, with the rest seeing no change.
Those that benefited did so thanks to strategic locations near fan zones in Guadalajara and Zapopan centers, or in high-traffic corridors where visitors congregated after matches, such as Avenida Chapultepec, Colonia Americana, Punto Sao Paolo and Andares.
MND Writer Dawn Stoner is reporting from Guadalajara.
Mexican cyclist Isaac del Toro scored an incredible career goal in France, but fans are still confused over what it means. (This image was generated using AI tools)
MEXICO CITY — The Mexican Foreign Ministry issued a clarifying statement Monday confirming that Isaac del Toro’s historic Stage 2 victory at the Tour de France does not count as beating France, ending three days of excitement among fans who had already begun printing T-shirts.
Del Toro, a 22-year-old from Ensenada, became the first Mexican in 36 years to win a Tour stage, crossing the finish line arm-in-arm with his Slovenian teammate, a gesture widely praised as sportsmanship but mistaken by some, still in the grips of World Cup fever, as a penalty-kick celebration. The presence of Merlin the duck in a yellow jersey only added to the sense of confusion.
Isaac del Toro crosses the finish line in Barcelona just ahead of teammate Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia (left) to show the French that actually, Mexico is good at more than just soccer. (UAE Team Emirates/Facebook)
“We are thrilled for Isaac and for cycling,” said a spokesperson for the Mexican Football Federation, adding that the achievement was “completely unrelated” to the national team’s run in the 2026 FIFA World Cup; this did not retroactively improve Mexico’s head-to-head record against France, which remains a sensitive subject dating back to at least 2010.
President Claudia Sheinbaum congratulated Del Toro on social media with a single word, “felicidades,” a message that was reposted over 40,000 times, analyzed for hidden World Cup subtext by at least two morning talk shows, and eventually confirmed by presidential aides to mean exactly what it said and nothing more.
Sports historians noted that the last Mexican to win a Tour de France stage, Raúl Alcalá in 1990, also did not defeat France in a World Cup match that year, a pattern researchers are calling “statistically consistent” but “emotionally difficult to accept.”
By Tuesday, the stage route itself had become a minor point of national pride after fans discovered it passed through both French and Spanish territory near the finish, prompting one radio host to declare, on air, that Mexico had “technically played away games in France and Spain and won,” a claim the Tour de France press office declined to dignify with a response.
Del Toro, when reached for comment, said only that he was “very happy” and “did not realize this was about soccer.”
The thief stole four bronze sculptures and several plaques, including the Leonora Carrington sculpture Black Dog. (Padre José de Jesús Aguilar)
Mexico City authorities confirmed on Wednesday the arrest of a suspect for the theft of historic sculptures from the Parish of San Cosme in the capital’s San Rafael neighbourhood, including a sculpture by British-Mexican painter Leonora Carrington, a towering figure in the 20th-century surrealist movement.
The theft was reported by Father José de Jesús Aguilar Valdés, who posted a video captured by security cameras on his social media accounts to ask for help in identifying the perpetrators.
— PadreJosedeJesusAguilar (@PadreJosedeJes) July 7, 2026
According to the priest, the pieces stolen from the church’s garden early Tuesday morning include Carrington’s Black Dog; a bronze sculpture by artist César Ruiz Cureño inspired by the Remedios Varo sculpture, Woman Leaving the Psychoanalyst; as well as two bronze angels and several plaques.
Following the priest’s public statements, the Mexico City Ministry of Citizen Security (SSC) arrested a 26-year-old man identified as the likely perpetrator, based on surveillance footage. Officials have yet to report the recovery of the stolen sculptures and plaques, and the investigation remains open to locate the other individuals involved.
The stolen pieces were part of a garden beautification project conceived as a space for contemplation open to the community, which included 15 artworks alluding to animal protection, art and various social causes, like that of the madres buscadoras (searching mothers).
One of the stolen plaques is of special relevance as it explained that Carrington and Varo were neighbors in the San Rafael neighborhood, for which they were frequent visitors to the parish. According to the plaque, Carringotn lived in the Grégoire de Wollant building, while Varo resided at Gabino Barreda 18, just a few blocks away.
Both artists were exiled to Mexico during World War II, where they became key figures in the country’s surrealist art movement. Beyond maintaining a close friendship, they developed much of their work in Mexico City, including some of their most renowned pieces.
The parish urged the general public not to purchase any items that may have been stolen, emphasizing that the value of the artworks goes far beyond their scrap-metal value, as they represent stories and symbols built by the community over the years.
“We will keep ensuring that the parish of San Cosme is a place of faith but also of art,” Aguilar said.
Elton John's announcement of two Mexico City concerts in October came as a surprise, but an especially pleasant one for his Mexican fans who will get a chance to see him perform one last time.
(Francisco Rodríguez / Cuartoscuro.com)
Elton John has announced he will return to Mexico this year with two farewell concerts in Mexico City, in what is already shaping up as one of the most anticipated pop music events of the year.
The British singer and composer confirmed he will perform live at Banorte Stadium (formerly Estadio Azteca) on October 2-3.
The dates and venue are set for Sir Elton’s Farewell to Mexico concerts: Oct. 2 and 3 at Estadio Azteca. (Elton John/Instagram)
The surprise farewell to Mexico dates interrupt his retirement from touring, announced after the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which COVID-19 prevented him from extending into Mexico at the time.
John wrote on his official Instagram account, “I was truly disappointed that the pandemic kept me from touring Latin America during my Farewell tour, which makes this return especially meaningful.”
John’s concert will offer fans in Mexico the opportunity to say goodbye to one of the most influential figures in contemporary pop and soft rock. The show will take the audience on a journey through the artist’s career, featuring classics such as Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer and Your Song, which have touched the lives of several generations of fans.
Tickets for his concert will go on sale between July 13 and 16 through Superboletos as follows:
Banorte Presale: Opens July 13 at 12 p.m. and ends July 14 at 11:59, exclusive to Banorte cardholders.
With a career spanning more than five decades, John has sold over 327 million records andplaced more than 85 songs in the Top 40. He has received one Emmy, six Grammy Awards, two Oscars and a Tony, earning him the coveted EGOT honor for winning all four major American entertainment awards.
Vertiv's Reynosa expansion is expected to create 1,000 new jobs as it increases its manufacturing capacity for critical infrastructure for data centers. (Gobierno de Reynosa)
Data center infrastructure company Vertiv plans to expand operations at its Reynosa facility on the state of Tamaulipas’s border with the United States, investing US$ 150 million.
The firm made the announcement during a recent meeting at its Reynosa facilities, attended by state and municipal officials. The expansion is expected to create over 1,000 new jobs and help establish Reynosa as a leading hub for advanced manufacturing and an investment destination for high-value industries in northern Mexico.
Vertiv will expand manufacturing capacity for critical infrastructure for data centers, electrical systems, and technological applications, as it responds to the growing global demand for artificial intelligence.
“Vertiv’s expansion fosters confidence in attracting companies involved with data centers [and] artificial intelligence,” Rodolfo González Núñez, acting head of the Reynosa Municipal Ministry of Economic Development, told the gathering.
Reynosa’s municipal government has agreed to provide Vertiv with institutional support and facilitate coordination with the relevant agencies.
By 2030, Mexico is expected to have attracted around $18 billion in data center infrastructure investment since 2005, with several projects already established or under development, according to Vertiv’s Vice President of Sales for Latin America Alex Sasaki.
Companies that want to compete must start developing their data centers now, Sasaki said.
Mexico has become a major data center host in the Americas, with Querétaro, Monterrey, and Guadalajara dominating development.
Three major factors attract investors to the Mexican market: population density, a skilled technical workforce, and a geographic location that supports nearshoring strategies.
Vertiv has four Mexican plants in Tijuana, Mexicali, Reynosa and Monterrey, as well as a service center in Querétaro, which it opened last year. In June, the company opened the Vertiv Academy in Mexico City, which will enable it to train technicians to operate its facilities.
Sasaki stressed that flexibility and modularity are key to data center development.
“Data centers are no longer designed as fixed structures that last for decades without changes, but as systems that can scale, adapt, and absorb technologies that don’t yet exist,” he said. “You have to design something future-proof.”
