MEXICO CITY — Mexico City lawmakers have approved new rules to regulate cell phone use in schools, in what officials are calling a “historic step” toward ensuring students spend at least 5% of class time looking vaguely in the direction of the chalkboard.
The reform, passed unanimously by the capital’s Congress, requires primary and secondary schools to draft policies limiting cell phone use during school hours, while allowing exceptions for emergencies and “educational purposes,” a category students immediately interpreted as “pretty much anything.”
Shhhh! These kids might be “learning.” (Moisés Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)
Under the new guidelines, schools are encouraged to introduce short, structured “phone pause moments,” during which students will place their devices face down on the desk, maintain eye contact at all times, and attempt to remember their teacher’s last name. Some campuses are testing secure phone lockers designed to hold devices, reduce distractions, and provide a safe space for notifications to pile up unsupervised.
Teachers cautiously welcomed the change. “If even three students notice that I am in the classroom, that will be progress,” said one middle school teacher in Álvaro Obregón, adding that she dreams of a future where at least one pupil asks a question that was not generated by an AI homework app.
Parents, meanwhile, expressed mixed feelings, torn between supporting reduced screen time and fearing they will no longer be able to send urgent mid-morning messages on WhatsApp, such as “did you see what I packed you for lunch” and “answer me, I see you’re online.” Authorities stressed that traditional communication tools, like school landlines and crumpled notices at the bottom of backpacks, still remain fully operational.
Estádio Azteca has been known as Estadio Banorte since 2025, and will be known as Mexico City Stadium for the World Cup. It's one of the three venues in the country for the upcoming tournament. (Instagram)
We are less than two weeks away from the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be played across three nations: Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. While the tournament is being jointly staged, this is, for better or worse, the U.S.’s event. They will stage 75% of the games and every match from the quarter-finals onwards. Mexico will at least have the honour of opening the tournament when the home team steps into Estadio Azteca to play South Africa on June 11.
Back in 2017, 49 stadiums put forward bids to be considered as a World Cup host, and there was considerable competition between venues in Canada and the U.S. Mexico, however, had already settled on its three stadiums. Mexico City would be an obvious choice, and there were two stadiums in the capital big enough to stage games. The Estadio Olímpico Universitario, though, was never a serious contender, despite a special place in sports history as the venue for the 1968 Olympics. It’s still decorated with the iconic art of Diego Rivera and the 1968 Olympic design team, and anybody returning to the stadium for the first time since those Olympics would struggle to see anything that had changed. Today, the Estadio Olímpico Universitario looks more like a museum than a modern sports arena, and the capital’s nomination was always going to be the Azteca.
Estadio Azteca and World Cup history
The late Diego Maradona’s epic and controversial “Hand of God” goal for Argentina against England in 1986 is one of many great World Cup moments to take place in Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. (Public Domain)
Estadio Azteca sits on the edge of the Coyoacán district of Mexico City and hardly needs an introduction. It is the largest stadium in Latin America and the eighth-largest association football stadium in the world. More than size, Estadio Azteca is a place of soccer legends. It was here that Maradona destroyed England in the 1986 World Cup, first with his “Hand of God” goal, then with his dazzling run that took him past four players, events still celebrated by plaques and memorabilia around the stadium.
It was here, in the Azteca, that Pelé played in his second World Cup final for the magnificent Brazil team of 1970, and here where Italy and Germany fought out their 4-3 extra-time epic described as “the match of the century.” Nor are the stadium’s memories limited to football. There have been musical superstars from Michael Jackson to Bad Bunny and, outshining them all, a visit by Pope John Paul II.
Renovation and naming dramas
As Mexican soccer fans will be aware, Estadio Azteca was closed in May 2024 for a major upgrade. On the outside, little has changed, and indeed, many of the interior improvements are not obvious. It is a credit to the original architects that a stadium that was designed in the early 1960s still looks so good. The World Cup renovations, which have already cost US $75 million, include a new pitch, a capacity increase to up to 90,000 seats, new LED screens and sound systems and an upgrade of the security cameras. When Mexico steps out to play South Africa on the tournament’s opening afternoon, Estadio Azteca will become the first stadium in the world to have staged games in three different men’s World Cup tournaments.
Work for the World Cup was essentially complete by late March, with the formal handover to FIFA taking place in May. Along with the handover came a renaming for the duration of the tournament: Mexico City Stadium, instead of Estadio Banorte, the corporate sponsorship deal given during renovations. However, since FIFA forbids such corporate sponsorships during the World Cup, what fans will still call Estadio Azteca is now Mexico City Stadium until the event is completed on July 19.
The renovation work, meanwhile, was both slow and controversial.Around 200,000 people live in the vicinity of the stadium, including many crowded into the historically working-class neighbourhood of Santa Úrsula Coapa. There have been grumbling and protests that the renovations have caused local prices to rise and will interfere with the area’s often limited water supply.
Estadio Akron is now Guadalajara Stadium for the World Cup
Estadio Akron will be renamed Guadalajara Stadium for the duration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Fernando Carranza García/Cuartoscuro)
Guadalajara, noted for tequila, mariachi and a rich soccer culture, was always going to be a venue, just as the modern Estadio Akron was always going to be preferred to the historic Estadio Jalisco. Indeed, Estadio Jalisco has aged so badly that it was not even considered suitable as a training base for any national teams. The Estadio Akron is the result of the desire of CD Guadalajara (better known as Chivas to its fans) for its own stadium. The design concept was a brave gamble, a stadium that would resemble a volcano, with the white roof that seems to float on top of the main structure representing the clouds of smoke. Work started in February 2004, but financial problems and other issues delayed the completion.
It was July 2010 before the stadium opened, with Guadalajara beating Manchester United in an exhibition game. Estadio Akron might have opened late and run over budget, but the volcano theme has worked, and the result is one of the most striking stadiums in the world. It has been home to some big nights since then, including the 2010 Finals of the Copa Libertadores and the 2011 Pan American Games opening and closing ceremonies. While Guadalajara only has four World Cup matches, it does have a couple of big draws. On June 18, Mexico will play South Korea, and eight days later, Uruguay meets Spain in what should be one of the most competitive of the group stage games.
However, as with Estadio Azteca, Estadio Akron will be renamed Guadalajara Stadium during the World Cup to comply with FIFA’s ban on corporate sponsorships.
How Monterrey became the third venue
Estadio BBVA, renamed Monterrey Stadium for the World Cup, offers soccer fans a view of the majestic Cerro de la Silla. (@la_okocha/on X)
The decision on a third venue must have been closer, with Puebla in with a chance. The city is the fourth most populous metro area in Mexico. It is an underestimated tourist center with a World Heritage historical old town and is noted for its low crime rate. Estadio Cuauhtemoc in Puebla was big enough for World Cup games and had undergone a major renovation in 2014-2015. However, that work had not been made with a World Cup tournament in mind, and the feeling was that Estadio BBVA in Monterrey was the superior stadium.
Monterrey Stadium, as it will be known during the World Cup, is the fourth-largest stadium in Mexico, holding 51,000 spectators. At US $200 million, it is also the most expensive sports arena in the country, but the city got value for its money. Walking through to your seat, there is a bit of a “TARDIS effect,” in that it feels bigger on the inside. However, take in the aerial view from a drone, and you see what an impressive building this is. The stadium is also noted for its green setting, being surrounded by grass and forested areas, and with the peak of the Cerro de la Silla towering above the complex. This “green image” is not just for show; the design has won praise for its efficient water management and eco-friendly energy usage.
Soccer history in Monterrey
Many local fans still remember the opening game when two-time European champions Benfica played local football club Monterrey for the eighth edition of the Eusébio Cup. The home side won 3-0, and since then, there has been plenty to cheer about. The club has traditionally done well in regional competitions, and wins in the CONCACAF Championship took them to three World Club Championships, where they twice finished an honorable third, as well as reaching the knockout stage of the expanded 2025 tournament.
There was some disappointment for local soccer fans when the World Cup fixtures were announced, particularly that none of Mexico’s games will be played in the city. Indeed, the stadium only gets four games, and the group matches involving Tunisia, Japan, South Africa and Sweden are not going to set the world alight. Similarly, Monterrey’s participation ends on June 29 with a round of 32 match.
Bob Patemanlived in Mexico for six years. He is a librarian and teacher with a Master’s Degree in History.
Peak wine tourism in Mexico is in the summer and fall, so now's the perfect time to plan your trip! (Kelsey Knight/Unsplash)
It may barely be June, but if you’re a wine lover in Mexico, it’s not too early to start planning your seasonal vineyard trip for this year. And if you’ve never visited one of Mexico’s emerging wine regions, you’re still on time to start planning your first trip. The good news is that there are more and more high-quality wine regions in Mexico to explore than ever.
While Baja California has long held the crown as the titan of Mexican wines, a dramatic shift is happening, with newer wine regions in other states like Guanajuato finally getting major attention on the world stage. And if you want to really go off the beaten path, some of Mexico’s most undervisited states are quickly turning into must-see wine regions that you can proudly say you discovered first.
Wineries across Mexico are already gearing up for an influx of wine tourism in the summer and fall. (Tierras y Almas)
The female leaders of Baja California winemaking
Baja California, of course, is Mexico’s most famous wine region — and deservedly so. So if you’re looking for a repeat tour here but with a new twist, did you know that there are several excellent wineries in the state’s popular Valle de Guadalupe region either owned or run by women?
Veteran winemaker Laura Zamora, arguably the matriarch of this movement, is one of them. She started in the industry nearly 50 years ago as a lab tech at Mexico’s second-largest winemaker, Bodegas de Santo Tomás winery in Ensenada, when she was only 17. She worked her way up to the position of head winemaker there in 2005, when Santo Tomás became the first winery in Mexico to appoint a woman as its head enologist. These days, Zamora has her own winery in Valle de Guadalupe: Casa Zamora.
Find out more about Casa Zamora and the other wineries in Valle de Guadalupe run by women in our article below.
Jalisco wines? Yes, it’s increasingly a thing. The area around Ribera de Chapala, for example, is an up-and-coming wine destination worth checking out, with a cluster of wineries on the southern shore of Lake Chapala. If you’re feeling more adventurous, look up Jalisco’s emerging Los Altos wine region, home to several vineyards that do tours and tastings.
Not long ago, MND reported on Altos Norte Vinícola, an award-winning newer vineyard in this region that is Mexico’s first certified-organic winery — a feat accomplished after years of preparing the land on a former livestock farm in owner José Miguel Vega’s family since the 1920s.
Altos Norte winery produces effervescent Pét-Nat and dry sparkling brut wines, working with varietal grapes like Albariño, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.
Find out about the family-run Altos Norte Vinícola, noted for its low-intervention, zero-waste and fair labor practices — and, of course, for its great wines — in the story below.
What’s old is new again: The renaissance in Coahuila wines
The colonial Spanish discovered Parras de la Fuente, Coahuila, when they arrived here at the end of the 16th century. While they declared the native grapes unsuitable for wine, they recognized that the climate was perfect for vineyards and encouraged the Catholic missions that established there to grow better wine grapes on their estates. Mexico’s first winery, Casa Madero, is located in Parras de la Fuente, as are several other newer great wineries.
While Parras de la Fuente has long been a wine-producing region, only recently has it been recognized outside Mexico. It’s also a stop on probably one of the quirkiest wine routes anywhere: the Vinos y Dinos (Wines and Dinos) route, where you tour vineyards while also visiting Coahuila’s famous dinosaur fossil sites.
Querétaro has long been seen as one of Mexico’s more staid, historic — frankly, a bit boring — states, a rising manufacturing and data center economic powerhouse with beautiful nature reserves in the Sierra Gorda, but somehow not a big tourism or vacation destination. So state officials must have been pleasantly surprised when Querétaro was recently included on the New York Times’ list of the 52 best places to go in 2026.
“In recent years,” the newspaper wrote, “the city and its surrounding countryside have emerged as a surprising new destination for food and drink.”
A big reason for that is undoubtedly Querétaro’s multitude of wineries, located conveniently close to the capital city of Quéretaro and the Querétaro International Airport. Wineries on this route offer daily tours, tastings and wine pairing workshops. The state’s impressively organized wine route is actually called The Wine and Cheese route, since there are small artisan cheesemakers to be found along the way as well.
The Spanish sparkling wine producer Freixenet has had vineyards and a large winery here for decades, and it’s left its imprint on the region: Querétaro and its vineyard-friendly arid climate have quietly become the capital of sparkling and effervescent Mexican wines, producing over 3.5 million bottles annually.
Guanajuato: Giving Baja California a run for its money
Over the border, Guanajuato state has long been turning into a wine-producing powerhouse — one of the biggest contenders in the nation poised to steal Baja California’s winemaking crown.
A testament to the state’s growing international importance as a wine producer is the fact that when the gold standard of wine competitions, The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, chose in 2024 to hold its main competition for the first time in the Americas, it held it in León, Guanajuato. For over a decade before that, Guanajuato’s wineries had already been taking home medals at the Concours Mondial México edition.
Located in central Mexico, a few hours from Mexico City, the state of Guanajuato is chock-full of award-winning wineries and boasts a wine route with several great options. For a roundup of seven of Guanajuato’s best wineries, all award-winners, check out Lydia Carey’s article below.
If you’re a newbie to wine travel in Mexico, here are some thoughts to keep in mind:
Choose your wine region based not only on the wines’ reputation, but on the activities available nearby. By their nature, vineyards are usually located in rural areas, so be clear on what you want to do on your trip once the wine part is over. Many of the wineries in Coahuila’s Parras de la Fuente wine region, for example, are located near the Magical Town of the same name. There, you can take carriage rides in the architecture-rich historic center and visit picturesque lakes, but not much else. But a wine-loving dinosaur buff may enjoy other parts of Coahuila’s Vinos y Dinos route.The wine regions of Guanajuato and Baja California may be a good fit for those who love outdoor adventure. Companies in the region provide hiking, nature exploration and extreme sports offerings. Find out the name of the nearest town or city to your vineyard of choice, and research the tourism activities available within reach. In other words, choose your region wisely.
Don’t just show up. At the very least, check the winery’s website to see if you need a reservation to take a tour or do a wine tasting before you arrive. Also, winery staff can alert you to pitfalls to avoid in getting there and answer questions about tourism options nearby.
Consider how you’ll get to your winery — and back to your hotel. It may make the most sense to drive yourself there, but there can be benefits to booking with a local reputable wine tourism company. Baja California has lots of them, and even less touristic cities like Querétaro do as well. You may also welcome the presence of a sober driver after indulging in a day of wine-tasting that surprises you with its alcoholic potency. Again, staff at the vineyard you’re visiting are often good sources of information on trustworthy companies for this type of service.Or, if your winery of choice has hotel rooms on-site, you can opt to turn your vineyard visit into a mini-getaway!
Less than two weeks out from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Liberation Plaza in downtown Guadalajara remains fenced off as preparations for the city's FIFA Fan Festival move forward in the Historic Center. (Fernando Carranza García / Cuartoscuro.com)
Two of Mexico’s most politically prominent governors found themselves facing legal scrutiny the last week of May, as the Attorney General’s Office summoned Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos for questioning. Meanwhile, President Claudia Sheinbaum kept up a busy week at the mañanera podium — defending a call to boycott a major television network, announcing a multi-billion-peso pharmaceutical investment and, on Friday, giving away her own World Cup ticket.
The economy offered some counterweight to the political turbulence. New data showed foreign direct investment hit a record high in the first quarter of 2026, and April export revenue surged. But a closer look at the labor market complicated the picture, with analysts warning that low unemployment figures mask a contraction in formal-sector work.
On the cultural and civic front, Sheinbaum reversed course on a controversial port project in Baja California Sur after sustained public pressure, and Congress passed a constitutional reform that would allow elections to be nullified in cases of proven foreign interference — a measure that moved from legislative proposal to a congressional vote in a matter of days, and now awaits ratification by state legislatures.
Didn’t have time to catch this week’s top stories? Here’s what you missed.
Governors Rocha and Campos face Attorney General’s questions
The week opened with the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) summoning two sitting governors for questioning: Sinaloa’s Rubén Rocha Moya and Chihuahua’s Maru Campos. Sheinbaum announced the summonses at Monday’s mañanera, framing them as evidence that her government does not grant impunity to anyone. Underscoring her point is the fact that the two governors belong to opposing parties: Rocha Moya is a member of the ruling Morena while Campos is a member of the opposition National Action Party (PAN). Both agreed to appear before the FGR, with Rocha Moya facing a U.S. federal indictment accusing him and other Sinaloa officials of drug trafficking in league with the Sinaloa Cartel, and Campos summoned over the alleged unauthorized operations of CIA agents in Chihuahua — something she says she neither authorized nor had knowledge of.
Economy posts strong numbers, but labor data adds nuance
President Sheinbaum sparked debate on Monday when she publicly called on Mexicans to stop watching TV Azteca, citing what she described as biased and inaccurate coverage of her government. She used Tuesday’s mañanera to elaborate on the call, framing it as a personal recommendation rather than a government directive. Critics argued the distinction matters little given the power differential between a sitting president and a private media outlet.
Congress moves fast on foreign interference reform
A constitutional reform that would allow Mexican elections to be annulled in cases of proven foreign interference moved quickly through the legislature this week. The bill, introduced by Morena’s congressional leadership, passed both chambers of Congress and must now be ratified by at least 17 of Mexico’s 32 state legislatures before taking effect. Sheinbaum addressed the measure at Thursday’s mañanera, framing it as a defense of national sovereignty. Supporters described the reform as a safeguard against external meddling; critics questioned its scope and potential for politically motivated application.
Security figures, CNTE clashes and a Loreto reversal
In a separate development, Sheinbaum reversed a presidential decree that would have opened the waters near Loreto, Baja California Sur to heavy marine traffic, citing the volume and consistency of citizen opposition.
World Cup: Bookings lag, Iran arrives and teachers protest
With the tournament less than a month away, the week produced a mixed picture on World Cup readiness. Hotel occupancy in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey is projected to average between 60% and 65% — well below the 80%-plus forecast by Deloitte in February — and the Mexico City Hotel Association reported that current reservations are below those of summer 2025.
On Monday, CNTE teachers challenged World Cup organizers, attempting to take over the Zócalo, the central plaza where FIFA is already setting up for tournament fan events. Riot police prevented their entry and the union protesters set up camp elsewhere in the city center. Protests continued throughout the week and on Wednesday, 16 CNTE teachers were injured in Oaxaca after community leaders attacked a union blockade, leading the dissident teachers union to break off talks with the federal government.
Iran’s national team chose Tijuana as its last-minute base for the World Cup, after the United States declined to host the team. Iran’s plans to participate in the World Cup have been in question since February, when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.
The first matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup kick off in Mexico on June 11, with Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey hosting games across the group stage. The most immediate pressure point between now and then is the CNTE standoff: More teachers are expected to arrive in the capital ahead of a large planned protest on June 1, with a national strike potentially beginning the same day — putting the government on a collision course with the tournament it has spent years preparing to host.
This story contains summaries of original Mexico News Daily articles. The summaries were generated by Claude, then revised and fact-checked by a Mexico News Daily staff editor.
Improving productivity could be Mexico's key to escape its current growth slump, Travis Bembenek writes. (Shutterstock)
I will admit that I am becoming somewhat obsessed with trying to get to the bottom of Mexico’s growth problem. I have been spending too many hours reading dozens of analyses and reviewing hundreds of slides by leading economists. The documents tend to dedicate most of their attention to the many things in Mexico that are not going well, and what the country can and should be doing better to help grow its economy. Of everything I read, two statistics in particular really caught my attention.
The first is regarding per capita productivity.I have written at length about Mexico’s productivity problem before. Having been in business for many years, one quickly learns about the importance of productivity. Increased productivity brings increased profits, which allows the business to invest more in its people. There is more money for employee training, salary increases, bonuses and hiring new employees. Without an increase in productivity, the opposite happens: Training is cut, salary increases don’t keep up with inflation, and employee headcount is often reduced. As Ken Griffin, the CEO of Citadel (a leading multinational hedge fund and financial services company), said just a few weeks ago at the Milken Conference in Los Angeles: “Productivity brings prosperity.”
If Mexico is going to get out of its growth slump, grow its economy, and improve the prosperity of its citizens, it must figure out how to increase the productivity of its workforce. That hasn’t been happening, and in fact, the data shows that productivity has actually decreased over the past decade. Even worse, according to recent research presented by Santiago Levy, a very well-respected Mexican economist, at the BBVA conference in Mexico City, per capita productivity has not increased in Mexico for 25 years! For some perspective, in that same time period, per capita productivity has increased over 50% in the United States and 25% in Canada.
The second statistic is regarding per capita GDP levels of Mexican citizens. According to the government statistics agency INEGI, the average Mexican today has a lower per capita GDP (adjusted for inflation) than they did in 2018. Said differently, the amount of wealth per person in Mexico is lower than it was 7 years ago! For some perspective, per capita GDP levels in the United States have increased by about 10% in that same time period and have been relatively unchanged in Canada.
And hence, my attempt to better understand these two important trends. How can it be that Mexico is not becoming more productive or wealthier on a per person basis? That just doesn’t make sense to me and doesn’t seem to reflect the reality on the ground that I see. I must admit that I am struggling to understand it myself.
For example, even when adjusted for inflation, Mexico has more than doubled its minimum wage in the past 6 years. This is relevant as a significant number of people (much more than in the United States and Canada) actually make the minimum wage. Over that time period, the poverty rate in Mexico has gone from approximately 42% of the population to under 30% — bringing over 13 million people out of poverty. As a direct consequence, Mexico’s middle class grew by a similar number of people during that time period.
Everywhere I look, I see examples of Mexicans clearly having more spending power. Think of it this way: Mexico’s population has increased by about 10% over the past decade. So how did spending by Mexicans on big-ticket items change in the past decade? I did some research, and here are some important numbers and observations:
The number of domestic light vehicle sales in Mexico has increased by roughly 13% over the past decade.
The number of both domestic and international flights taken by Mexicans has increased over 40% in that time period.
New housing inventory is being built throughout the country for buyers of all income levels.
New private hospitals and private schools catering to Mexico’s middle and upper classes are being built nationwide.
So the lower class has had significant increases in inflation-adjusted wages, formal unemployment levels are near historic lows, and labor informality rates have been ticking down. Furthermore, here are signs throughout the country that point to increased spending power of the middle and upper classes. So why is it not showing up in the data?
Another growth statistic that seems to defy logic is regarding exports. As we reported earlier in the week, Mexico’s exports were up a whopping 32.6% in the month of April — the highest level of export revenue ever reported. The year-to-date export revenue growth rate through April was 21.8%. Given Mexico’s export-heavy economy, one would think that the economy is booming. But in fact, GDP in the first quarter of this year was down by 0.6%! How can that be?
To begin with, Mexico’s imports are also rapidly increasing by nearly 20%, meaning that the net growth to the economy of exports when subtracting imports is about 2%. Said differently, Mexico imports about 20 cents of goods to export a good worth 22 cents. That tells us that Mexico is actually providing relatively little “value add” to its exports.
So if the economy contracted in Q1, there are clearly other factors at play. International tourism arrival numbers are up double digits, but total spending is up only slightly. Remittances from abroad have had a small rebound but have been trending down. Government infrastructure spending, after the AMLO binge-spending boom, is down. Pemex continues to bleed money instead of contributing profits to the economy. Government outlays from social programs have been increasing significantly with little to no short term impact on productivity or growth.
It’s a confusing time. It’s hard to predict where we go from here. “Experts” are telling contrasting narratives on what the data tells us and what it means for the future of Mexico’s economy. As one would expect, many Mexican citizens, as well as many MND readers, are confused as to the true direction of things. The fast-moving and constantly evolving global macroeconomic and political environment is becoming increasingly complex to understand. Most people in the United States and Canada would not agree with where their countries are headed. Mexico is no exception. Stay tuned to MND and our new series of MND Intelligence articles as we try to navigate and understand this brave new world.
Travis Bembenek is the CEO ofMexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.
Before visiting Mexico City (or Guadalajara or Monterrey) for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, make sure to read our complete fan guide with expert tips first. (FIFA)
Mexico is hosting the World Cup for the third time in history, and the tournament kicks off on June 11 at Estadio Azteca with El Tri facing South Africa. For anyone planning to attend matches across Mexico City, Guadalajara or Monterrey, the next few weeks are your window to get organized.
What do you need to know? This guide touches upon a bit of everything, from flights to the weather, so you can make the most of your World Cup experience in Mexico.
Which World Cup games are in Mexico, and which city should you visit?
Estadio Azteca, officially known as Mexico City Stadium during the World Cup, will host five games, including Mexico vs. South Africa on the tournament’s opening day. (Instagram)
Mexico will host a total of 13 games between June 11 and July 5. The three host cities each have a distinct character and a distinct set of logistical realities.
Mexico City
Mexico City Stadium (Estadio Banorte, or more famously, the Estadio Azteca) hosts five games:
June 11: Mexico vs South Africa
June 17: Uzbekistan vs Colombia
June 24: Czechia vs Mexico
June 30: Group A Winner vs Group C/E/F/H/I Third Place
July 5: Round of 16 match
The Round of 16 match is by far the biggest match played on Mexican soil this time around, and the atmosphere at an 87,500-capacity Estadio Azteca in a knockout round will be other-worldly.
Pro tip: If it’s your first time visiting Mexico City or you haven’t been here in a while, note that the capital sits at 2,240 meters above sea level. Arrive at least a day early to acclimate to the altitude.
Guadalajara
Guadalajara Stadium (Estadio Akron) will host approximately 48,000 fans during each of its four World Cup games. (Fernando Carranza García/Cuartoscuro)
Guadalajara (Estadio Akron) hosts four games across the group stage. The key dates for fans following Mexico’s group are:
June 11: South Korea vs Czechia
June 18: Mexico vs South Korea
June 23: Colombia vs DR Congo
June 26: Uruguay vs Spain
The stadium’s volcano-inspired architecture and distinctive roof make it one of the more visually striking venues in the tournament.
Pro Tip: Guadalajara is the birthplace of tequila and mariachi, so consider taking an extra day here to check out the Tequila Train or have a long lunch in Plaza de los Mariachis.
Monterrey
Monterrey Stadium (Estadio BBVA) will host four World Cup games, with a capacity of 51,000 fans. (@la_okocha/on X)
June 29: Winner Group F vs Runner‑up Group C (Round of 32)
The venue is backed by the Sierra Madre mountains, making it one of the finest club stadiums in Latin America. Monterrey is the most compact of the three host cities in terms of tourist zones — the Barrio Antiguo is where most fans will land and stay.
Pro Tip: June in Monterrey runs hot, easily above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), so factor the heat into your planning. The organizers have.
FYI: If Mexico advances — as a host nation, the expectation is they will — their Round of 32 would be June 30 back at Estadio Azteca.
FIFA World Cup tickets: what they cost, where to get them and what to expect
FIFA should be your premier platform for buying World Cup tickets. Don’t buy from scalpers. (FIFA)
As FIFA’s official ticket sales phase has closed, the secondary market is now the primary option for most fans.
On FIFA’s own official resale platform, a category three seat for the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa was recently listed at over US $5,000, a steep jump when compared to its original face value of US $895. Official Category 1 tickets for Mexico’s opener were set around US 1,800 — many fans now see prices above US 2,000.
For non-Mexico group games at the three Mexican venues, secondary market prices are considerably lower. Games like Colombia vs. Democratic Republic of Congo in Guadalajara or Tunisia vs. Japan in Monterrey represent a realistic opportunity to attend a World Cup match without a four-figure price tag.
Pro Tip: Buy only through FIFA’s official ticketing platform, or through a recognized secondary market aggregator that offers a ticket guarantee. Do not buy from individuals outside stadiums or through unverified social media listings.
Should you fly into the host city the day before the game?
In anticipation of the 2026 World Cup, Mexico City International Airport is getting a much-needed makeover. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
Yes. For every game in every city, arrive the day before, at a minimum.
Why? Traffic, yes, but the extra day also gives you time to figure out how to best arrive at the stadium. It’s also a good idea to give yourself a cushion, should any flight issues arise.
This is especially important in the case of AICM — Mexico City’s main international airport — which will be operating at high volume throughout the tournament. Domestic flights between host cities on match days and the mornings before them are booking up fast. A delayed flight, a missed connection or a gate change on the day of Mexico’s opener could mean you miss kickoff at one of the most attended sporting events in the country’s history.
Pro Tip: It’s critical to download your airline’s app. AICM’s gate assignments run notoriously late, and often don’t reflect on the airport monitors until less than an hour before take-off. Apps, like Aeromexico’s, send push notifications the moment your gate is assigned. It also keeps you up to date if delays or changes arise.
FYI: If you’re delayed more than four hours, Aeromexico offers airport dining credits. These can be accessed via the app, so you don’t have to wait in line for a paper voucher.
Getting to the stadium from your hotel
Mexico City’s Metro is the cheapest way to get from your hotel to the stadium. (Gobierno de CDMX)
In all three cities, Uber and DiDi are your most reliable options. Both apps work consistently across Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Book your ride early or, even better, schedule rides well in advance (both Uber and DiDi let you schedule a ride at least one day before). On match days with demand spikes, wait times and prices inflate.
Mexico City’s Metro is a cheaper alternative at 5 pesos per ride. To arrive at Azteca, take Line 2 to Tasqueña, then switch to the Tren Ligero toward Estadio Azteca station. FIFA will also operate official shuttle services from designated points in each city — check the FIFA app and local signage as you approach your match date.
Flying between host cities during World Cup 2026
The three cities are not close to each other. Mexico City to Guadalajara is roughly an hour by air, as is Mexico City to Monterrey. Plan domestic legs early, as flights on the day before and after major matches are the first to fill.
Aeromexico, Volaris and Viva Aerobus all cover these routes. Budget carriers offer lower base fares but charge separately for checked bags, seat selection and changes. Aeromexico is generally more expensive, but most extras are included.
Either way, the booking window for match-adjacent travel is closing. If you haven’t booked yet, now is the time.
Pro Tip: Aeromexico recently introduced a new Stopover Program, allowing international passengers to stay up to seven days in Mexico City before continuing to a second domestic destination under one fare. This is a great option for fans flying in from Europe or South America who want to catch multiple matches.
The fan experience beyond the stadium
Plaza de la Liberación will be the center of the Fan Festival in Guadalajara for this year’s World Cup. (Instagram)
All three host cities are running FIFA Fan Festivals with giant screens, live music and free entry throughout the tournament. In Mexico City, the festival is based at the Zócalo — the central plaza of the capital and one of the largest public squares in the world. Every bar and restaurant in the host cities will be screening matches, so the tournament will, effectively, be everywhere.
A few city-specific suggestions to consider for those without a FIFA ticket: in Guadalajara, the Tlaquepaque neighborhood is a perfect place to watch a match, or to wander while your partner does, thanks to a collection of artisan shops, good mezcal, fine restaurants and a laid-back pace. In Monterrey, the Barrio Antiguo has the best concentration of bars and restaurants and is walkable from most centrally located hotels. In Mexico City, the Condesa and Roma neighborhoods are well-connected, walkable and full of places to eat and watch football.
Before you leave home: the checklist
Download your airline’s app before you travel, not at the airport. Mobile check-in, digital boarding passes, and self-service rebooking tools are crucial when airports are running at tournament-volume capacity. Flight apps also handle seat selection, baggage, upgrades, real-time gate and flight updates.
Download WhatsApp for travel support. Viva and Volaris both use WhatsApp chatbots for check-in and basic support; Aeromexico’s WhatsApp channel tends to be more comprehensive, especially useful if you miss a flight or need more detailed help.
Buy travel insurance. Flights during a major tournament carry a higher disruption risk, and June weather in central Mexico can include afternoon storms. Coverage for cancellations, delays, hotel expenses and medical assistance is not a luxury purchase for this trip.
Install Google Translate offline. Download the Spanish language pack before you board, just in case.
Bethany Platanella is a travel planner and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine hit that comes directly after booking a plane ticket, exploring local markets, practicing yoga and munching on fresh tortillas. Sign up to receive her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog, or follow her on Instagram.
"Santita" is a new Mexican produced television series from Netflix, and an "unmissable gem," according to our reviewer. (Netflix)
Some series are made for quick consumption and serve as a way to pass the time, while others refuse to let you be the same person once the credits roll. “Santita,” Netflix’s ambitious new Mexican production, definitely belongs to the latter group. Created and written by Luis Cámara and Gabrielle Galanter, and directed by Emmy nominee Rodrigo García Barcha, this seven-episode series challenges our views on autonomy, sexual pleasure and the right of people with disabilities to be masters of their own destiny.
The first thing to know about “Santita” (“Little Saint”) is that its title draws on Latin American irony and idiosyncrasy. It serves as a direct provocation: it sets us up for a martyr, but instead presents us with a hopeless rebel. At the heart of this dramatic comedy is María José Cano (Paulina Dávila), better known as “Santita,” a young woman deeply in love who, after an accident that limits her mobility to a wheelchair, makes the difficult decision to break up with her fiancé, Alejandro (Gael García Bernal), and radically reinvent herself.
How an accident changes the way Santita navigates her life
Santita | Tráiler oficial | Netflix
Those who spent their youth with Santita remember her as a demure young woman who strictly followed the rules. However, since that incident, she has navigated the world without asking for permission or forgiveness. When we meet her in the present, she works as a gynecologist while leading an intense and irreverent life: she drinks excessively, bets on cockfights, dominates the poker tables and maintains a strained relationship with her family. Far from being a damsel in distress or embodying the stereotype of the helpless victim, María José is a woman in charge who faces her reality with great fortitude and acts with total autonomy. Her true battle, however, is fought in private: as a result of her spinal cord injury, she has been unable to reach orgasm, which has driven her on a daring sexual crusade that sometimes exposes her to high-risk situations.
Her daily routine is thrown into disarray when her ex-fiancé’s wife walks into her office as a patient. As might be expected, running into each other again isn’t easy. The encounter reopens the wounds of that interrupted wedding and forces them to confront a past riddled with painful memories and repressed resentments. The tension reaches a breaking point when Alejandro, cornered by a medical condition, asks María José for an ethically complex favor that forces her to rethink the limits of love and personal autonomy.
From media condescension to human complexity
The second thing to know about “Santita” is that this is not a saccharine “overcoming adversity” melodrama or a conventional romance. ThisNetflix production is a highly exciting and necessary addition to the representation of functional diversity on the small screen. In a media landscape that often relegates this community to limiting stereotypes — such as victims, angelic beings, eternal children or family burdens — the series actively challenges the industry’s sentimentality and biases. By portraying its protagonist in all her human complexity and endowing her with dreams, contradictions and common flaws, the script commits to a respectful and authentic approach.
Sharpened by dark, biting humor, the series successfully breaks down taboos surroundingsexuality and disability and explores, with unusual boldness, the challenges of inhabiting a body with new sensory boundaries. While traditional narratives persist in desexualizing people with limited mobility, the series chooses to bring the camera into the bedroom and film desire from a first-person perspective. In this way, nearly every episode details Santita’s fearless determination to reconnect with her body and with pleasure.
With razor-sharp wit, the screenwriters manage to make María José’s sexual crusade function as a broader social commentary. The series exposes uncomfortable realities ranging from everyday prejudices and a lack of urban accessibility to institutional barriers and the violence that affects this community.
An acting master class
Another pillar of this Mexican dramedy is the magnetism of its cast. In the lead role, Dávila avoids clichés and crafts a provocative anti-heroine who moves effortlessly between chaos, humor, pain and exasperation. There is so much humanity in her performance that it’s impossible not to root for her as we watch her stumble and try again. This on-screen authenticity is the result of close collaboration between the actress and Mexican activist Maryangel García Ramos, whose direct guidance imbued the character with realism.
Paulina Dávila portrays the title character in “Santita,” with her former fiancé played by acclaimed Mexican actor Gael García Bernal. (IMDb)
For his part, García Bernal brings a poignant fragility to Alejandro, a character caught between the melancholy of the past and an extreme physical urgency. Overall, the honest chemistry between the leads is a true delight and reliably carries the full emotional weight of the story. This dramatic pulse is bolstered by a committed supporting cast: Erik Hayser and Ilse Salas inject the depth and layers of tension that the series demands.
With complete confidence in his actors, director Rodrigo García Barcha avoids rushing the scenes. Instead, he keeps the camera on their faces long enough for the emotional cracks and small joys to come through on screen. This unhurried, introspective approach brings out the best in the cast and ensures that the most devastating moments pack a powerful punch.
A mature artistic statement
“Santita” is much more than just fleeting entertainment; it’s a bold step toward a more mature, courageous and necessary Latin American television. By breaking down taboos surrounding disability, Rodrigo García Barcha and his team deliver anunmissable gem that challenges, entertains and, above all, transforms. If you have a soft spot for those dramatic comedies that leave your heart in your throat, you can’t miss this one.
The series more than captivates thanks to the magnetic chemistry between its leads, the emotional depth of its moral dilemmas, and its sharp social commentary. Fortunately, the season ends with an open ending that leaves the stage completely set for a sequel. Fingers crossed.
Carolina Alvarado is a Venezuelan journalist and has devoted much of her career to creative writing, university teaching and social work. She has been published in Lady Science, Latina Media, Global Comment, Psiquide, Cinetopic, Get me Giddy and Reader’s Digest, among others.
Rating Mexico's extremely varied public bathrooms is a science and an artform. Sarah DeVries has it to a tee. (Alberto Lung/Unsplash)
A note from the Editor: With the World Cup fast coming up, tens of thousands of tourists will be experiencing Mexico (and its toilets), most for the first time. To do our best to help these new arrivals, we took a look in our features archive for anything that might help. Here’s what we found: If it’s useful to you, don’t forget to let us know in the comment section!
I took my daughter to a gourmet popcorn store the other night. It’s nice and well-decorated but very small, with just two tiny tables inside. It’s the kind of place where most people order their fancy popcorn to go (our favorite is “Cookie Monster” — it’s blue and has actual cookies and M&M-type candies made to look like googly eyes!), but my daughter couldn’t wait that long. She had to have some of that popcorn right then and there.
My problem was that I needed to pee. Bad. Actually, I often have to pee pretty badly, which means if I’ve gone to an establishment with a bathroom, I’ve probably used it.
Replace the toilet paper and add some faucets, and this Mexican bathroom is a five-star candidate. (Rústicos Artesanales)
This was hardly a sit-down restaurant, so I don’t think the bathroom was really considered for client use when they moved in. The tiny space was stocked with cleaning supplies, and it was so small that my knees knocked against the sliding door in front of me when I sat down (try getting that image out of your head!).
But I was grateful that they’d let me use it, and for the fact that there was both toilet paper and soap. There were paper towels for hand-drying, too, a bonus! I smiled to myself and remembered an old friend’s silly idea, born of a veritable smorgasbord of bathroom experiences in Mexico: a bathroom star-rating system.
Behold, here it is, my unscientific rating system for Mexican baños has arrived!
5-star bathrooms
A five-star bathroom has to not only contain everything you might want and need, but it must also be a well-decorated space, without any kind of awkward, misplaced items (like cleaning supplies). It cannot double as an additional space for something else, and it must be spotless. Bonus points for an essential oil diffuser or something similar, and extra bonus points for music that gives you auditory privacy. Climate control gets that bathroom into Heaven.
Other features of a five-star bathroom:
The basic necessities: toilet paper, soap, paper towels or an electric dryer.
Visually-pleasing, large-enough mirrors (above the sink and full-length).
Functioning and easy-to-use locks on the door or stalls.
A four-star bathroom is almost as nice and pleasant as a five-star, but might be missing a couple of features: perhaps it’s very nice overall, but lacks toilet seats (I cannot figure out why so many bathrooms lack toilet seats around here). Maybe it’s otherwise lovely, but it has a moldy-looking corner of the ceiling or terrible lighting that makes you look just ghastly in the mirror, or terrible water pressure that means you have to hold the flusher down until all the water’s drained from the bowl. One or two things will need to be noticeably off.
3-star bathrooms
Three-star bathrooms are those in which the experience of using them starts to become quality entertainment, if you’re looking at it the right way.
It will still have the essentials, like toilet paper, soap and (maybe) paper towels for hand-drying, but plenty of other things could be either comically missing (like a mirror or a toilet paper holder) or comically present (like the establishment’s entire collection of cleaning supplies bunched up in a corner, or an old calendar from a previous century on the wall). A bathroom gets three stars in my book if it doesn’t have a toilet seat or if it’s one of those spaces that’s so tiny you can barely turn around. This would include those kinds of triangle-shaped bathrooms that are underneath stairs, or spaces in which inserting a toilet and sink seemed to have been an afterthought, something done hastily without having first taken measurements.
2-star bathrooms
Two-star bathrooms are those that officially have what you need — usually because you’ve had to pay five pesos to get in — but that are strictly no-frills. Most pay-to-use bathrooms in public parks and similar places count as two stars. Don’t even think about toilet seats this time.
The toilet-paper dispenser will typically be public, meaning you’ll need to either be handed your allotted squares from the person charging to get in out front or “serve yourself” from a large dispenser outside the stalls before going into a stall, which may or may not close and lock all the way. Soap will be available at the sinks, though you might need to scoop it in powder form from a plastic container or squeeze a liquid that smells like grape candy out of a recycled dish detergent dispenser. Paper towels are not usually on the menu (though there’s usually an empty dispenser).
1-star bathrooms
One-star bathrooms are not for the faint of heart. There might be a toilet, but there’s no counting on toilet paper, soap or even a door, for that matter. To get one star, the toilet can only be flushed by pouring a bucket of water into the bowl.
One-star toilets are often found (around here, anyway) on public beaches. There might be a door with a latch, or there might simply be a curtain. If there’s a sink for washing one’s hands, it’s outside of the actual bathroom, and the soap and mirror situation could be dodgy.
I wish you the wisdom to appreciate five-star bathrooms, the grace to accept one-star bathrooms and an absurd enough disposition to, like me, spend your bathroom trips thinking about how many stars you might give the one you’re in.
This article was first published in 2023.
Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.
