Home Blog Page 90

The 10 greatest moments in World Cup history for Mexico

By
Bob Pateman
-
0
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco had one of Mexico's greatest goals in the 1998 World Cup against South Korea. (Facebook)

Mexico has a proud World Cup history. As of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins next week, the country will have served as host a record three times, with its national men’s team competing in 18 different World Cup tournaments.

Along the way, there have been plenty of memorable moments, from victories to legendary goals. Here are 10 of our favorites, and the greatest moments in World Cup history for Mexico:

10 — Manuel Negrete’s wonder goal in 1986

Mexico VS Bulgaria Gol de tijera de Manuel Negrete Mexico 86

The quarterfinal game of the 1986 World Cup, with 114,000 fans crowded into the Estadio Azteca to watch Mexico play Bulgaria. Mexico would eventually lose the match, but it is a game remembered for one of the best goals ever seen in the history of the tournament. After a period of intense Mexican pressure, Javier Aguirre and Manuel Negrete exchange five passes during which the ball doesn’t touch the ground, and there is Negrete, executing a scissor-kick volley to score. 

9 — Beating the world champions in 2018 and giving the fans a heart attack

Hirving Lozano vs Alemania (Mundial Rusia) 17/06/18

Germany went into the 2018 World Cup not only as the reigning champions but also as one of the most impressive winners of all time. They opened their defense against Mexico. In the 37th minute, a quick break ended with Hirving Lozano hitting the ball home for what would prove the winning Mexican goal. Now for the second part of the story.

Ten days later, Mexico lost its third game to Sweden, which left these two teams on six points, and both looking good for the next round. However, a thousand kilometers away in Kazan, the German game was still going on with the scores at 0-0. If the reigning champions could conjure up a late goal and beat South Korea, they might still eliminate Mexico. In the 92nd minute, there was indeed a goal, but it was Korea who scored. Two minutes later, the Koreans scored again, and Mexico’s qualification was secured!

8 — Chaos in the Azteca in 1970

México vs El Salvador “ Mundial México 70” (1970)

Mexico had drawn with the USSR in the opening game in the 1970 World Cup and now needed something against El Salvador. With half-time approaching, and the game still goalless, Mexican frustrations were building up. The ball went out of play, and El Salvador’s captain, Salvador Mariona, stood there expecting Mexico’s Mario Pérez to kick it to him for the throw-in. Instead, Pérez glanced at the referee and seemed to decide that Mexico had been awarded a free kick! With the El Salvador team jogging in the opposite direction, Mexico’s Aaron Padilla received the ball and was left with a free run towards the goal. The ball was crossed, Boja missed it, but Javier Valdivia slid in to score.

The El Salvador players were furious and rightly so. It was uncertain if referee Ali Hussein Kandil had actually given a free kick at all, or if he had been “conned” by Perez.  He certainly hadn’t given the Salvadorian side a clear signal, and they had been totally caught out. For several minutes, El Salvador refused to restart the game. Referee Kandil kept placing the ball on the center circle, and the El Salvador players kept kicking it away. The referee decided to blow for halftime and, with tempers cooled during the break, the El Salvador side came out for the second half. But their heart no longer seemed to be in the game, and Mexico won 4-0.

7 — Introducing the Mexican ‘wave’ in 1986

La Ola del Mundial Mexico 86

“The Mexican Wave” is not actually a Mexican invention. As far as can be traced, the idea was dreamt up by Krazy George Henderson, who taught it to the crowd at a baseball game in the U.S. Young Mexican sports fans saw it on television and introduced it in a soccer game between Monterrey and Tigres. All this happened under the radar, and it was the carnival atmosphere in the Azteca Stadium in 1986 that brought the wave to world attention.

6 — The last 16 curse

MÉXICO 🇲🇽 La MALDICIÓN del 5to PARTIDO en los Mundiales (1994-2018) Memorias del Mundial

“The Curse of El Quinto Partido” … the 5th game. The expression refers to seven consecutive tournaments in which Mexico qualified for the knockout stages but couldn’t get beyond the Round of 16 for a place in the quarterfinals and a 5th game. The run started in 1994 with Mexico losing on penalties to Bulgaria. It continued in 1998 when they led Germany for much of the second half but still lost. The 2002 tournament brought a disappointing defeat to the U.S., followed by an extra-time defeat to Argentina in 2006.

A second defeat to Argentina four years later and a defeat to the Netherlands in 2014, once again having led for most of the second half, and finally a defeat to Brazil in 2018, continued the “curse.” In part, this pattern was due to Mexico regularly finishing runners-up in their group, giving them potentially a tougher game in the first round of the knockout stage.

5 — Did you see that in 1998!

Retro: ¡El día que Cuauhtémoc Blanco APANTALLÓ a Bélgica con un GOLAZO en Francia 1998 | TUDN

Cuauhtémoc Blanco was a very good player, enjoying a career that saw him represent Mexico 120 times and play nearly 600 club games. Yet, he is still best remembered for a little bit of trickery in a World Cup game against South Korea. Out on the left touchline, double-marked, he held the ball tightly between his ankles, jumped over two defenders, and was away. It wasn’t spontaneous — he had developed the trick with Club América — but it took the world by surprise. Viva Mexico! 

4 — Guillermo Ochoa vs. Brazil in 2014

El DÍA que MEMO OCHOA FRENÓ a la PENTACAMPEONA 😱 Brasil 0-0 México - Fase de grupos 2014 🎤 TV AZTECA

In their second game of the 2014 tournament, Mexico faced mighty Brazil. This was perhaps not the best of Brazilian sides, but they were at home, and they had Neymar. It was Neymar in the 27th minute who rose to head the ball towards the Mexican goal. Powerful and well directed for the corner of the net, it seemed a goal for sure … but there was Guillermo Ochoa, stretching out and somehow getting his hand to the ball to guide it around the post. It was one of the greatest World Cup saves of all time, and the heroics didn’t stop there. Ochoa had the game of his life, on three further occasions blocking the ball with his knee and body to prevent Brazil from scoring from close range.

3 — ‘Cinco Copas’ in 1966

Antonio "Cinco Copas" Carbajal
Goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal played in five World Cups for Mexico, the last in 1966. (Public Domain)

Mexico had done well in the 1966 World Cup, taking a point against France and giving England a tough time. With the final game to come, Mexico were still in with a chance of making the quarterfinals, but the odds were against them as they would have to beat Uruguay, and to do so by at least two goals. With young Ignacio Calderón having fumbled the ball to give England an easy goal in the previous game, Mexico recalled Antonio Carbajal. The 37-year-old veteran became the first player to appear in five World Cup tournaments, a record that would not be equalled for 32 years. He played well, and Mexico kept a clean sheet, a great way to end a unique World Cup career that stretched back to 1950.

2 — The Ignacio Trelles revolution

Legendary Mexican soccer coach Ignacio Trelles in a white men's tee and sweatpants, holding a soccer ball by his hips as he converses with three unidentified men in trenchcoats near the nearly empty bleachers of a sports stadium.
Mexico’s team in 1966 was coached by legendary Mexican player-coach Ignacio Trelles, who was on his third stint as Mexico’s World Cup coach. (Mexsport)

In three World Cups from 1950 to 1958, Mexico lost 5 out of 6 games and conceded 26 goals (an average of 3.25 a game). From 1962 to 1970, they conceded just 11 goals from 7 games (an average of only 1.1). The man who found a style that suited his players was Ignacio Trelles. In 1961, he brought Mexico to England for a game in the iconic Wembley Stadium. Mexico lost 0-8, showing they did not have the players for the new 4-2-4 style that was sweeping the world.

Trelles responded to the Wembley disaster by developing his own Mexican style. This involved three central defenders and two players covering the flanks, but willing to move forward with the ball — wing backs as we know them today. Mexico became a team that could soak up pressure and then quickly counterattack. The result was a gradual improvement that saw them score their first win in 1962, achieve two draws in England in 1966, and, under coach Raúl Cárdenas, who inherited the system, reach the knockout stages for the first time in 1970.

1 — Saving the World Cup in 1970

1970 WORLD CUP ALL GOALS

The 1966 World Cup had been cynical. South Americans protested at the injury-threatening tackles of the Europeans, Europeans players moaned about the South Americans’ time wasting and intimidating the referees. There was nothing beautiful about the game. Then came Mexico in 1970. Perhaps the altitude helped as it slowed the pace down and gave the edge to the skillful players, rather than those who relied on the physical side of the game. Perhaps it was the carnival atmosphere created by the Mexican fans, but starting with Peru and Brazil, the players started to have fun. By the semifinals, even the dull Italians were joining in, beating West Germany 4-3 in the “Game of the Century.” All this was watched live around the world in color. The World Cup has never looked back! 

Bob Pateman lived in Mexico for six years. He is a librarian and teacher with a Master’s Degree in History.

Does Mexico need more tourists? A perspective from our CEO

By
Travis Bembenek
-
21
A beach filled with palm trees and beach chairs
While popular destinations like Playa del Carmen, seen here, welcome millions of international visitors every year, foreign visitors are few and far between in other areas of Mexico. (Rajiv Perera / Unsplash)

As you might expect, tourism is a very important part of the Mexican economy. The direct economic impact estimated by Mexico’s government (INEGI) is over 8% of the country’s GDP. Reports from the World Travel & Tourism Council estimate the combined direct and indirect economic impact at nearly 15% of GDP and suggest that up to 13% of Mexico’s workforce is supported by tourism. What’s even more interesting than the current impact is thinking about how much bigger it could be.

I have written before about how I think Mexico needs to begin to pivot and diversify its economy away from manufacturing and more into areas like tourism, healthcare, and education. If we believe even in small part the projections on the impact coming from AI and robotics, Mexico needs to diversify its economy to account for the potential impact on manufacturing. When looking at the tourism statistics, Mexico is clearly on the right track, having received nearly 48 million international tourists in 2025. This represents an increase of 6.1% over 2024 and firmly places the country sixth globally in terms of international tourist arrivals.

In the wake of Trump’s tariff chaos, Mexico’s economy needs a rethink: A perspective from our CEO, Part 1

But even with those impressive numbers, the growth potential of tourism in Mexico is still massive. For those of you feeling that the country already has too many tourists, let me share some statistics for perspective. First, let’s look at the country’s population divided by the number of foreign tourist arrivals for several of the top tourist countries globally. Spain leads the way with almost two international tourists per resident, followed by France with 1.45, and the UK at 0.6. Mexico comes in at only 0.34. I am not suggesting that Mexico strive for “Spain-like” numbers (and the problems that have come with it), but we see that a doubling of the tourist numbers would still put Mexico nowhere near the ratios of Spain and France.

Next, let’s look at tourist density, measured as the number of international tourist arrivals per year per square mile of land. Spain again leads the pack with 481 tourists per square mile, with France at 476, the U.K. at 447, and Mexico … only 59! Said differently, France, Spain, and the U.K. are all receiving eight times more tourists per square mile than Mexico! Of course, parts of Mexico at times feel overrun with tourists. However, there are still dozens of spots throughout the country that are unknown to the vast majority of international tourists. I am often shocked to find stunningly beautiful places in Mexico with almost no tourists. Don’t get me wrong — part of the charm is precisely because it is not overrun with selfie-taking tourists. Still, there is clearly an opportunity to increase the economic impact for many of these places.

To help better understand what the Mexican government is doing to take advantage of this opportunity, I recently met with the country’s Minister of Tourism, Josefina Rodríguez Zamora. She has been in the role since October 2024, when she was chosen by the newly-elected President Sheinbaum. At only 36 years old, she is the youngest person to ever hold the office. Here are some highlights from our conversation:

1. Josefina is extremely passionate about Mexico’s potential for increased tourism. She is committed to getting the country to fifth place in international tourist arrivals by the end of Sheinbaum’s term.

Federal Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez Zamora.
Federal Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez Zamora at an April press conference in Acapulco. (Daniel Augusto / Cuartoscuro.com)

2. She is looking to increasingly diversify the tourist base to include more arrivals from other countries. Her team recently finished a tourism mission to China to attract more visitors from that country, had a massive presence at the International Tourism Fair in Spain, and has increasingly strengthened ties with European countries and Canada.

3. She is focused on making the Maya Train a success. Her team is working with local communities along the route to help them identify, create, and market the different tourism activities and options that are available.

4. She is (obviously) excited about Mexico co-hosting the World Cup. In addition to the direct economic impact on the three host cities (GDL, CDMX, MTY), she also sees opportunities for fans to get out and discover other parts of the country. To help facilitate this, the Minister of Tourism has even created a special app called “Mexico Invita.”

5. Her team is working hard to inspire tourists to go beyond the well-known tourist areas of Cancún, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta and increasingly discover more parts of the country. She mentioned the states of Guerrero (Acapulco, Ixtapa), Oaxaca (Oaxaca City, Huatulco, Puerto Escondido) and San Luis Potosí (SLP City, the Huasteca Potosina) as examples that are perfect examples of states that are increasingly accessible for more tourists.

Tourism, if done right, is a great way to improve the economic prospects of communities across the country. Far too often, the lack of economic opportunities has pushed residents of these communities to leave family and friends behind and move to larger cities in Mexico or leave the country entirely. Tourism investment and tourism inflows enable these communities not only to survive, but thrive in an evolving economy.

The team at Mexico News Daily has worked with Josefina and her team to create a new series of travel articles we are calling “Discover Mexico.” This will be a series of 14 articles and videos, published every two weeks, that will share a less well-traveled part of Mexico. Each article will have maps, article summaries, fun facts, travel tips and a video that will help you learn more about the destination, what to do there and how to get there. Check out the first one debuting Sunday, June 7, on Zacatecas. They can be found in the travel section on our homepage. Hopefully they inspire you to get out and explore some new parts of the country!

Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.

Screwworm parasite arrives at the US border, with new cases in Coahuila and Texas

By
MND Staff
-
0
NWS fly
New World screwworms are the larvae of a species of blowfly. Authorities suspect that its spread is not just from movement of infected cattle but also from the natural migration of the flies themselves. (Texas Department of Agriculture)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) this week confirmed the presence of a New World screwworm (NWS) in Zavala County, Texas.

The report comes just five days after the USDA announced that a parasitic fly was found in a young sheep in the Mexican state of Coahuila within 31 miles (50 km) of the U.S. border.

Until this week, that was the closest the ​parasite had come to the U.S. during the ongoing outbreak, which has been steadily tracking north from Central America and through Mexico for more than a year despite a sprawling effort by USDA and Mexico to contain the pest.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the USDA said the affected animal in Texas is a 3-week-old calf and larvae were identified in its umbilical area. 

If the fly enters the U.S., record beef prices could surge higher since more calves would be kept out of ​the U.S. cattle supply. The USDA estimates that an outbreak could cause billions of dollars in damage to the U.S. economy and Texas — the biggest U.S. cattle-producing state — could suffer economic losses of US $1.8 billion.

“The United States has defeated this pest before, and we will do it again,” said Dudley Hoskins, a USDA official, adding that “USDA invested heavily in the tools needed to eliminate NWS ever since cases started increasing in Central America and Mexico.”

NWS is a species of parasitic blowfly whose larvae burrow into open wounds and eat the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, eventually killing their host if left untreated.

The U.S. has thrice suspended cattle imports from Mexico over the past 18 months in an effort to keep screwworm south of the border.

The infestation — eradicated in Mexico since 1991 (the U.S. eradicated NWS in the 1960s) — resurfaced in summer 2024, and has posed a significant challenge for authorities. Pets, wild animals and humans can also be affected.

Mexico’s Health Ministry (SSA) said there have been more than 350 cases of human infestation across Mexico, with Chiapas being the most affected state (131 cases).

A map showing cases of new world screwworm reported in Mexico as of June 3.
Cases of new world screwworm reported in Mexico as of June 3. (USDA)

On May 27, SSA reported the first case of NWS infestation in humans in Mexico City and this week it reported the first case of screwworm myiasis in a human in Nuevo León.

As hosts of the upcoming World Cup, both Mexico City and Nuevo León are expecting millions of visitors in this month and next.

SSA has recommended using protective clothing, such as long sleeves and pants, when visiting the countryside or near animals, as well as using authorized repellents on skin and clothing to prevent the presence of flies.”

With reports from Reuters, El Financiero, El País and Univision

World Cup ticket scams are surging — here’s how to buy safely

By
MND Staff
-
1
FIFA site
While the frenzied eagerness of soccer fans to get World Cup tickets has created fertile ground for online scammers, the official FIFA site continues to offer both new ticket sales and resales. (Shutterstock)

Authorities and security experts have issued warnings that scammers are taking advantage of World Cup fever by setting up fake websites and impersonating official FIFA channels to sell phantom tickets and bogus merchandise.

Last week, the FBI alerted the public to three dozen websites — with domains such as “fifa-ticket.live” and “fifaworldcup26.sale” — that pose as the real fifa.com to steal personal information or sell fake tickets and products.

The fakery is well done, reports the cybersecurity publication The Hacker News. Some scam operations “offer near-perfect copies of fifa.com … [and loads] images straight from FIFA’s own servers, so the page looks authentic and slips past tools that flag copied images.”

These malicious actors are seeking to take advantage of soccer fans desperate to find bargains outside official channels and cybersecurity firms warn that the scams number in the thousands.

There are simple ways to avoid the scams:

  • Buy only through fifa.com.
  • Type the address in yourself.
  • Don’t trust ads or search results.
  • Switch on multi-factor login.
  • Treat any seller who wants payment in cryptocurrency as a scam. (FIFA’s ticketing never asks for crypto.)

Security experts say the FBI warning only scratches the surface of the deceptive practices.

Everyone working the World Cup needs a FIFA badge — even the pizza lady

Singapore-based cybersecurity firm Group-IB identified more than 4,300 fraudulent domains registered since August that pose as being FIFA-affiliated and estimates that losses from fraud could add up to billions of dollars.

Social media is also riddled with scams. There are football-themed ad campaigns on Facebook and Instagram promoting counterfeit kits, fake Panini stickers and phishing pages.

Cybersecurity group Fortinet counted over 1,700 spoofed FIFA accounts, almost all of them on Facebook and Instagram. It also warned of fake FIFA job ads and calendar invites to send applicants to a lookalike Google login.

Another cybersecurity company, Bitdefender, said it found 55 soccer-related scam ad campaigns on Meta platforms. Among the flagged items were promotions for phony collectibles and merchandise.

Meta has reportedly started deploying pop-up warnings when Facebook users search for tickets. The tech company says it recently dismantled spoofed FIFA sites that were promoting “fake gambling content” which could have been used to collect passport scans and selfies for identity theft.

The Hacker News also warned of counterfeit merchandise shops and bogus streaming sites that request subscription fees only to install malware, which gives the attacker control. 

Host-city Wi-Fi is also a potential problem. A recent study of wireless networks in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara revealed that the infrastructure continues to present multiple forms of operational exposure, posing serious digital exposure risks for users.

With reports from La Jornada, Agence France-Presse, The Hacker News and Reforma

Everyone working the World Cup needs a FIFA badge — even the pizza lady

By
MND Staff
-
1
An aerial view of Azteca Stadium, re-labelled Mexico City Stadium ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Outside Mexico City's Azteca Stadium, an hours-long line for a FIFA badge gave MND's Peter Davies plenty of time to chat with the Mexico City vendors preparing to pull off the year's biggest sporting event. (Tomás Pérez de la Cruz / Cuartoscuro.com)

If you go to a World Cup match during the upcoming 23rd edition of the tournament, you’ll buy your beer, hot dogs, tacos or whatever takes your fancy from a FIFA-accredited vendor.

If the stadium bathrooms you use qualify for three or more stars under Sarah DeVries’ rating system for Mexican baños, you can thank FIFA-accredited cleaning staff for keeping them in order.

And if you read a media report filed from one of the 16 stadiums across Mexico, the United States and Canada that will host the 104 World Cup matches this summer, you’ll be reading the work of a FIFA-accredited journalist. (Keep an eye on MND’s ongoing World Cup coverage!)

All of this came into sharp focus for me last Sunday while I was waiting in line outside FIFA’s Mexico City accreditation center, a temporary structure set up in the parking lot of Mexico City Stadium (aka Azteca Stadium), the cavernous arena that will host the opening match of the World Cup between Mexico and South Africa next Thursday.

That’s right. FIFA — which took control of Estadio Azteca last month — is accrediting most, if not all, people who will be working at World Cup stadiums on match days.

Standing next to me in the line was a young man who, during a long wait on a warm Mexico City day, intermittently spoke to himself in perfect American-accented English. We got talking. “Where are you from? Who are you working for?” I asked him, thinking that he was perhaps covering the World Cup for a U.S. media outlet.

“Born and raised in Mexico City, but my dad is from Miami,” he told me before revealing that on match days at el Azteca he would be working for “a friend of a friend” at a chicken wing stand.

From what I could gather, almost all of the other people lining up to get their FIFA accreditation passes in Mexico City last Sunday were vendors of one type or another. “Vendedora de pizza,” one woman told me when I asked her what she would be doing on match days. “Vendo bebidas,” (“I sell drinks”), said her smiling friend.

Given that literally thousands of people will be working at Azteca Stadium on match days, FIFA’s accreditation task in Mexico City is a mammoth one, and many people, myself included, have faced long waits to pick up their passes from football’s global governing body.

In recognition of the enormity of the job — and the long wait times — FIFA decided this week to open a second accreditation center in Mexico City to issue passes solely to approved members of the press.

The issuance of these accreditation passes — by friendly and helpful FIFA volunteers, I might add — is the culmination of a long process that I personally began several months ago.

Those approved for passes, whether they are journalists, vendors or anyone else who will be working in the stadium on World Cup match days, have had to provide detailed personal information to FIFA and, in some cases, undergo background checks. That data collection — and FIFA’s sharing of it with authorities for the purpose of background checks — has led to concerns in the United States, particularly in California, that stadium workers without legal residency could be targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on match days.

In Mexico, as in the United States and Canada, FIFA-accredited stadium workers will play an essential role in ensuring that the millions of spectators who attend World Cup matches this summer have a safe, smooth and satisfying experience. The football players will be on the pitch, but there will also be stars in the stands, pouring cerveza, selling pizza and wings and even bringing bebidas to fans’ seats so they don’t miss a second of the action.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

Mexico rolls past Serbia in its final World Cup warm-up match

By
MND Staff
-
1
Julián Quiñones encounters Serbia's Strahinja Erakovic during Mexico's 5-1 victory Thursday night. (Edgar Negrete Lira / Cuartoscuro.com)

Mexico will take some momentum into its home World Cup after smashing Serbia 5-1 on Thursday night in its final pre‑tournament warm-up match — and third straight tune-up win.

The victory in a sold‑out 30,000‑seat Nemesio Díez Stadium in Toluca, México state, stretched Mexico’s unbeaten run to six wins and two draws in its last eight matches.

troops outside TOluca soccer stadium
This was the scene Thursday night outside Toluca’s Nemesio Diez Stadium during the Mexico-Serbia match that served as a World Cup warm-up for the security forces as well as the players.
(Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar / Cuartoscuro.com)

Johan Vásquez, Raúl Jiménez and Luis Chávez scored for El Tri, the Mexican national team, with two Serbian own goals (defensive mistakes) rounding out the lopsided scoreline.

Though Mexico is No.  14 in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings — well ahead of Serbia at No. 41 — Mediotiempo deemed El Tri’s performance one of the team’s best in Javier “Vasco” Aguirre’s third stint as head coach.

“From the start, the team displayed an offensive style that pleased the fans and undoubtedly created a connection with them,” the digital sports news outlet wrote.

All three Mexican scorers are expected to form part of the team’s core in the upcoming World Cup: Vásquez as a first‑choice defender, Jiménez as a leading option at center forward and Chávez as a go-to creative force in midfield.

Aguirre praised the team’s form while warning against overconfidence, noting that many top Mexicans playing abroad have only recently started practicing with El Tri’s early selectees.

“We’re on the rise,” he said. “I think we’re in good shape, getting players back. We’re a solid group, a family, no matter who plays.”

The win over Serbia followed a 2-0 victory over 73rd-ranked Ghana on May 22 and a 1-0 win over No. 23 Australia on May 30, giving Mexico three straight wins by a combined 8-1 score ahead of its opener Thursday, June 11.

Mexico dominated the ball against Serbia, holding about 75% possession and putting five of its 10 shots on target.

The recent run has reinforced El Tri’s status as a favorite to advance from Group A. 

Mexico will open group play against No. 60 South Africa on June 11 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, then face No. 25 South Korea on June 18 in Guadalajara and No. 39 Czechia on June 24 back at Azteca.

The 2026 World Cup features a record 48 teams spread over 12 groups of four teams each. The top two from each group will advance to the Round of 32, along with the eight best third-place teams across all 12 groups.

The nation of Mexico will host 13 games: five in Mexico City and four each in Guadalajara and Monterrey. There will also be 78 games in the United States and 13 in Canada.

With his goal Thursday, Jiménez, 35, continued his push toward Javier “Chicharito” Hernández’s scoring record. It was his 46th for Mexico’s senior national team, which ties him with the previous record holder, Sinaloa native Jared Borgetti, and puts him six short of Javier “Chicharito” Hernández’s all‑time mark of 52.

With reports from Mediotiempo, AS México, Infobae, ESPN and USA Today

Ex-soldier arrested in California over role in Ayotzinapa mass disappearance case

By
MND Staff
-
1
Ayotzzinapa suspecdt arrested
Enrique Martínez Chávez was arrested in Hawthorne, California, by ICE agents and will remain in U.S. custody until he is repatriated to Mexico. (ICE Los Angeles/X)

A former Mexican soldier linked to the forced disappearance of 43 students in the state of Guerrero 12 years ago was arrested near Los Angeles by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Wednesday.

In a Thursday social media post, ICE confirmed that Enrique Martínez Chávez was apprehended in Hawthorne, California, and will remain in U.S. custody until he is repatriated.

Ayotzinapa protest 2026
Almost simultaneously with the arrest, family members of the missing announced they will renew street actions to protest the lack of resolution of the case, timed to coincide with the first week of the World Cup. (Madres y Padres de Ayotzinapa / Facebook)

Martínez, 32, is one of 16 soldiers linked to the disappearance of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers College in September 2014 in Iguala, Guerrero, for whom arrest warrants were issued in August 2022.

Eight of the 16 soldiers are being held in a military prison in connection with the Ayotzinapa case. Though they were arrested in June 2023 on charges of forced disappearance, they are still awaiting civilian criminal proceedings.

Prosecutors allege criminal responsibility on the part of the soldiers under the legal hypotheses of collusion and failing to respond.

Two of the four Army officers for whom warrants were issued were arrested and later released, highlighting a disturbing trend of military commanders accused of crimes being liberated by Mexico’s Judiciary. 

General José Rodríguez Pérez, the highest-ranking military officer indicted for his alleged involvement in the mass disappearance, was released on bail in July 2024, though he still faces charges of organized crime and forceful disappearance. 

The second-highest-ranking officer, Rafael Hernández Nieto — a colonel at the time of the disappearances but promoted to brigadier general upon retiring from active duty a few years later — was released on bail in August 2023 but also still faces charges.

Three months ago, a judge ordered the Defense Ministry to hand over all the information its intelligence agencies have gathered regarding the case.

The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed in 2023 by the families of the missing students who have long protested the military authorities’ refusal to fully cooperate in the investigation. 

The 16 soldiers, members of the 27th Infantry Battalion stationed in Iguala, all face forced disappearance and organized crime charges. 

The privates — Enrique Martínez among them — were under the command of Captain José Martínez Crespo, the first military officer arrested (in November 2020) in connection to the Ayotzinapa case.

Prosecutors have accused members of Captain Crespo’s patrol of intimidating students who sought refuge at the Cristina Hospital in Iguala after they were attacked by municipal police and members of the Guerreros Unidos crime gang.

Investigators are still seeking to clarify if the soldiers actively participated in the disappearance of the students by handing them over to the Guerreros Unidos.

A lawyer for the parents of the 43 said that, so far, they have not been officially notified of the former soldier’s arrest. 

On Wednesday, family members of the missing said they will hold a series of demonstrations and activities in Mexico City from June 8-12, during the first week of the World Cup

The events of that night in September 2014 left six people dead, dozens injured and 43 students missing, now presumed dead.

With reports from Milenio, La Jornada, El País and Proceso

Sheinbaum promises ban on large-scale tourism developments in Mahahual: Friday’s mañanera recapped

By
MND Staff
-
1
President Sheinbaum smiles from the podium of her morning press conference in Veracruz June 5
President Sheinbaum gave her morning press conference from Veracruz on Friday, where she announced a decree to block large tourism developments around a Quintana Roo beach destination. (Saúl López / Presidencia)

Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds

  • 💰 Mega-investment push in Veracruz: From Coatzacoalcos, the CEO of Pemex announced a 93-billion-peso petrochemical and fertilizer plan. Sheinbaum said that her administration is investing 190 billion pesos on infrastructure, energy, water, environment and healthcare projects in Veracruz.
  • 🌊🌿 Mahahual to be protected, only ecotourism allowed: On World Environment Day, Sheinbaum and Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena said the government will issue a special decree to protect Mahahual in Quintana Roo, blocking large-scale tourism projects like the recently canceled Royal Caribbean megaproject and prioritizing community-backed, environmentally friendly tourism.
  • ⚖️ Ayotzinapa case: arrest of ex-soldier in U.S.: Sheinbaum confirmed the arrest in California of former soldier Enrique Martínez Chávez, wanted in Mexico for enforced disappearance in connection with the 2014 Ayotzinapa case. She said he is subject to a Mexican arrest warrant and will face justice here, with the Attorney General’s Office to provide further details.
  • 👩‍🏫🏛️ No force against CNTE teachers’ camp in CDMX: Sheinbaum ruled out evicting the CNTE-affiliated teachers’ protest camp in Mexico City’s historic center, saying authorities won’t use force and will keep seeking an agreement through dialogue, even though she insists the government cannot meet key demands due to budgetary reasons.

Why today’s mañanera matters

President Claudia Sheinbaum held her Friday morning press conference in Coatzacoalcos, a port city in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz. The president has often held her Friday mañaneras outside Mexico City, but before today had not done so in some time.

Early in the press conference, new Pemex CEO Juan Carlos Carpio announced a 93-billion-peso (US $5.3 billion) investment plan aimed at revitalizing Mexico’s petrochemical and fertilizer industries. He said that the money — which will be invested in various projects between 2026 and 2030 — would come from both the government and the private sector.

Transport Minister Jesús Antonio Esteva Medina with a slide showing a bridge and the words Nuevo Puente Coatzacoalcos III
Speaking from Veracruz on Friday, Transport Minister Jesús Antonio Esteva Medina shared plans for a new bridge in the major port city of Coatzacoalcos. (Saúl López / Presidencia)

Federal officials also presented information about infrastructure investment in Veracruz. Among the projects set to be built is a new bridge — the Puente Coatzacoalcos III — that will cross the Coatzacoalcos River on Federal Highway 180. Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Minister Jesús Antonio Esteva Medina said that the bridge will be the longest and highest bridge built during the current term of government. Construction of the 5.8-billion-peso project is scheduled to be completed in early 2030.

Sheinbaum said that around 190 billion pesos (US $10.9 billion) will be invested in a range of projects in Veracruz during her term in government.

That amount includes investment in petrochemical, fertilizer, highway, water, environmental and healthcare projects, she said. She said that additional funds are being invested in education and in welfare programs in Veracruz.

“It’s a historic investment for Veracruz,” she said.

Also of note at today’s mañanera, held on World Environment Day, was the announcement that the government will issue a decree aimed at protecting the environment of Mahahual, a town on the southern coast of the state of Quintana Roo. Sheinbaum also acknowledged the arrest in the United States of a man wanted in connection with one of Mexico’s most notorious criminal cases — the disappearance of 43 students in Guerrero more than a decade ago.

Sheinbaum: Only ecotourism projects to be allowed in Mahahual  

Two weeks after the federal Environment Ministry canceled Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day Mexico megaproject in Mahahual, Quintana Roo, Sheinbaum said that the government intended to classify Mahahual as a protected area.

“[Regarding] this area of Mahahual, where a large-scale tourism project was to be built, the objective is to give it a category of protection so that only ecotourism can take place there,” she said.

“… Today we announce that we will work with the community in the south of Quintana Roo [to draw up] a special decree for this area so that large-scale tourism projects aren’t developed,” Sheinbaum said.

Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena joined the press conference by video link from Quintana Roo to speak about the planned decree.

“President, you instructed me to go to Mahahual to meet with the community. Mahahual is not just a tourism destination, it’s an area with communities that have been guardians of their seas, their mangroves and their jungles for generations,” she said.

“We’ve listened to their concerns, their proposals and their vision in order to develop, together, environmentally-friendly tourism that allows economic development and employment to be combined with environmental protection. For that reason, together with the [local] population, a decree will be drawn up … to protect [the environment] from large-scale tourism,” Bárcena said.

Sheinbaum acknowledges arrest in US of ex-soldier wanted in connection with Ayotzinapa case 

A reporter asked the president about the arrest in California on Wednesday of Enrique Martínez Chávez, a former Mexican soldier wanted in connection with the 2014 disappearance and presumed murder in Guerrero of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College.

The Los Angeles Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the arrest on social media.

“Martínez is wanted in his home country of Mexico for enforced disappearance of persons while a member of the Mexican military. He’ll remain in ICE custody until he can be sent home,” ICE Los Angeles said on X.

Sheinbaum said that Martínez was subject to an arrest warrant in Mexico. She said he was detained during an ICE immigration raid and had not been specifically targeted because he was wanted in Mexico.

Sheinbaum said that the federal Attorney General’s Office would provide more information about “who this person is and why he is important” to investigations related to the Ayotzinapa case, which still hasn’t been resolved almost 12 years after the 43 young men were abducted in Iguala, Guerrero, on September 26, 2014.

Other soldiers have been arrested in connection with the abduction, in which the Guerreros Unidos crime gang, Iguala municipal police and the Mexican Army allegedly colluded.

Sheinbaum rules out possibility of removing teachers’ protest camp in CDMX historic center

The CNTE on Tuesday blocked the intersection of Reforma and Insurgentes, one of Mexico City's most transited areas.
CNTE teachers union members on Tuesday blocked the intersection of Reforma and Insurgentes, one of Mexico City’s most transited areas. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

Sheinbaum said that authorities had no intention of clearing a protest camp set up by CNTE-affiliated teachers in the historic center of Mexico City.

“We’re not going to evict them because that’s what they want,” she said.

“… That is what they want, that is what they’re seeking to provoke,” Sheinbaum said.

She reiterated that the government is seeking to reach an agreement with protesting teachers through dialogue.

Earlier this week, Sheinbaum stressed that authorities would not use force against protesting teachers, who have tried to set up camp in the Zócalo, Mexico City’s main square that will host the FIFA Fan Festival during the upcoming World Cup.

Sheinbaum said on Wednesday that teachers have “legitimate demands,” but stressed that it is not possible for the government to meet all of them. She has said on repeated occasions that the government can’t meet all of the protesting teachers’ demands — among which is a demand for a 100% pay rise and the repeal of changes to their pension system — for budgetary reasons.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

Waiting on the rain in the Bay of Banderas

By
Charlotte Smith
-
7
Puerto Vallarta as a storm approaches
A storm is brewing in Puerto Vallarta and around Banderas Bay, and locals can't wait. Charlotte Smith explains why. (Vallarta Adventures)

I woke to the low buzz of my phone and a message this morning. “Heavy rain expected.” I lay there listening to the fan, feeling the kind of heat that promises a storm. Around here, you can feel it before you can see it. The mornings arrive warm and heavy instead of pleasant, and by noon, the air settles over the Bay of Banderas like a blanket.

I got up and went outside to sit on my porch in Bucerías, coffee cup in hand, the ceiling fan spinning overhead. The message feels a bit more like an act of optimism than relief, but I suppose we’ll see. The fan moves the heat around, sure, but it doesn’t really take it away.

watering brown grass with a hose
The daily battle against the inevitable … at least until the summer rains arrive. (Covington Naturals)

From my spot in the chair, I watch my boyfriend wage his daily battle against the inevitable. He’s out there again with the hose.

Every day, he seems convinced that if he waters long enough and carefully enough, he can hold back what the dry season always brings. He stands in the garden directing streams of water across the grass, trying to keep everything green while the rest of the landscape slowly gives in.

But little brown patches begin to appear anyway. First one. Then another. Then a few more.

Waiting for the rain to come

The grass hangs on for as long as it can, but by early May, the earth is tired and the trees look dusty. The hills beyond town have lost some of their color. Even the jungle, which always seems larger than life, appears to be holding its breath.

That’s when everyone starts talking about the rain.

Not the way people talk about bad weather elsewhere. Nobody’s really complaining about it or dreading it. Here, we’re all quietly hoping for it.

“Any chance this week?”

“I heard there might be storms on Thursday. Fingers crossed.”

The rainy season isn’t something people endure. It’s something we wait for.

A new way of thinking about the weather

Living here has changed the way I think about the weather. Before moving to Mexico, rain was usually an inconvenience. It ruined my plans and made traffic worse. It kept me indoors, and I’ve never been very good at being indoors.

Here, though, it’s renewal and transformation.

The hills that looked faded and exhausted suddenly begin changing shades almost overnight. Brown gives way to a million shades of green.

Lush, greed backdrops near Puerto Vallarta
During the summer months, everything around Banderas Bay becomes lush and green. (Vallarta Adventures)

Dry riverbeds start flowing again. Plants that seemed dormant spring back to life with startling speed.

It’s one of the reasons some of my favorite places around Puerto Vallarta are actually at their best after the first summer rains arrive.

The summer rains and the changes they bring

The trails above town are a perfect example.

During the driest weeks of the year, some sections feel dusty and exposed. The views are still beautiful, but the landscape can seem muted after months of relentless sunshine.

Then the rains come, and within days everything changes. The jungle thickens and new growth appears everywhere. Vines stretch across trees, and the mountains become layers of green so vivid they almost look artificial.

The air smells different, too. Earthy and fresh, carrying scents that have been missing for months.

Walking those trails after the first few storms feels like stepping into a completely different season.

Puerto Vallarta and the rainy season

Many visitors never realize how dramatically these areas transform because they only experience Puerto Vallarta during peak tourist season. But after the rains begin, water returns to places that have spent months nearly silent, and the sound alone changes the experience.

Instead of dry rocks baking in the sun, you hear movement. Running water in the rivers. The croaking of frogs. The chirping of insects. The songs of birds that seem to appear out of nowhere.

Life returns all at once.

One of my favorite drives is simply heading south or inland after a few weeks of rain have passed. The mountains seem larger somehow, draped in layers of vegetation that weren’t visible during the dry months.

The first year I lived here, the speed of the transformation surprised me most.

Statue of Nepture and a mermaid
Even Nepture and the mermaid from their perches on the Puerto Vallarta malecón know the rains are coming. Summer is here. (Cortor Media/Unsplash)

It wasn’t gradual at all. I expected months of slow change, but nature had other plans.

A few solid storms and suddenly the landscape looked completely different. It was as if someone had turned up the color saturation on the entire region.

I find myself looking forward to that moment every year now. Maybe that’s why I’m sitting on the porch watching clouds gather over the mountains.

Any day now

The grass below is still showing those stubborn brown patches despite my boyfriend’s efforts. The fan is still pushing around warm air. The afternoons are still sticky enough that even simple tasks feel harder than they should.

But there are signs.

A darker horizon. A breeze is arriving from somewhere beyond the bay. Towering clouds are building over the Sierra Madre in the late afternoon.

The waiting won’t last much longer.

Soon, the first storm will roll through and the sky will darken. The scent of rain will arrive before the rain itself.

And then, almost overnight, the entire area around Banderas Bay will become green again.

The trails will change. The rivers will wake up. The jungle will reclaim the mountainsides.

The grass will finally win. Or maybe my boyfriend will claim that he won all along after weeks of standing out there with a hose, refusing to surrender to the dry season.

Either way, the rain is coming.

Around here, the first rain isn’t the end of the dry season; it’s the beginning of everything. And maybe, just maybe, that message is relief afterall, and today is finally that day.

Charlotte Smith is a writer and journalist based in Mexico. Her work focuses on travel, politics, and community. You can follow along with her travel stories at www.salsaandserendipity.com.

The quest to discover the secrets of Moctezuma’s private zoo

By
Andrea Fischer
-
2
Zoo of Moctezuma
Chapultepec Zoo wasn't the first in Mexico City. Before the Spanish invasion in the early 16th century, Emperor Moctezuma Xocoyotzin had a menagerie of his own. (Florentine Codex/Wikimedia Commons)

Moctezuma II was a sensitive ruler. He followed the line of succession to the throne of Tenochtitlán established by his grandfather, Moctezuma I “Ilhuicamina,” and his Mexica subjects knew him as Xoyocotzin, “the venerable youth.”

During his reign (1502—1520), he was also known as “the angry one,” or “the one who frowns,” per Arqueología Mexicana, due to numerous rumors of his declining mental health. Historical records also suggest that he may have had ominous premonitions before the Spanish invasion of his empire’s capital. Sometimes these premonitions appeared as dreams; other times, almost as hallucinations.

Moctezuma in Mexico-Tenochtitlán
Moctezuma’s zoo imitated the natural habitats of several species near his palace in 16th century Mexico-Tenochtitlán. (Public Domain)

Despite his difficult character, it seems that Moctezuma Xocoyotzin had a particular affinity for nature. In fact, according to ENAH (National School of Anthropology and History) archaeologist Israel Elizalde Méndez, he founded the first zoo in Mexico. As to where it was and why it has never been found, the reasons have to do with its great antiquity and the fact that Tenochtitlán is now buried under modern Mexico City.

Moctezuma Xocoyotzin’s private zoo

Historically, Moctezuma’s zoo is known as a “vivarium”: an enclosure where the ancient tlatoani, or emperor, kept specimens of magnificent species from across his empire. In Náhuatl, it was better known as a Totocalli: a house of birds. Considering that the Mexica Empire at its peak expanded from the Mexican Central Plateau (including the present-day states of Guerrero, Morelos, Puebla and Veracruz) to parts of Oaxaca, the animal collection was likely as diverse and impressive as the territory itself.

Unfortunately, as Elizalde Méndez points out, most of the accounts that have survived to the present day are “the narratives of the Spanish conquerors.”

Hernán Cortés was impressed by the great diversity of birds that Moctezuma kept in captivity, and he was amazed at how this enclosure imitated the natural conditions in which each species thrived:

“He had all the kinds of water birds found in these parts, which are many and diverse, all domesticated; and for the birds that live in the sea, there were saltwater ponds, and for those that live in rivers, freshwater lagoons, which they emptied from time to time for cleaning, and then refilled through their channels,” the conquistador recounted in his letters to the Spanish Crown.

The animals in the zoo

For decades, the zoo was assumed to be a legend. However, animal remains discovered in 2018 suggest that not only did it exist, but it was located near the current archaeological site of the Templo Mayor. Like contemporary zoos, Moctezuma’s vivarium was responsible for breeding, caring for and maintaining diverse animal species, explains Elizalde Méndez.

Moctezuma II, emperor of the Mexica
It is thought that Moctezuma II’s zoo was located in what is now the historic center of Mexico City, near the Templo Mayor. (Public Domain)

What animals were there in Moctezuma’s zoo? As many as the ancient inhabitants of Mexico-Tenochtitlán could have imagined! Elizalde Méndez told the BBC that “there were even enormous cages with birds that are not native to the area around Mexico City.” It is thought that there were golden and harpy eagles, macaws and quetzals, which “were transported from other parts of the empire.” It is also known that there were small amphibians (frogs and toads) and varieties of reptiles, such as snakes.

Furthermore, not just anyone could access this space of captivity. On the contrary, it formed “part of the architectural structures where the elites lived.” Many of the animals that lived there were collected as tribute from subjugated peoples, or arrived as gifts from other political leaders as a gesture of goodwill toward the tlatoani.

Information about the zoo is still scarce

Considering that Moctezuma II was the leader of the most impressive empire Mesoamerica ever saw, it was not surprising that he indulged in eccentric tastes — such as keeping wild animals in captivity. In addition to artificial salt lakes, chroniclers reported gigantic cages and large boulevards for touring the grounds.

Besides serving as a source of enjoyment for the Mexica royalty, says Elizalde Méndez, it appears that the fauna collected by Moctezuma formed part of “a very important network for supplying objects for ritual use.” In other words, master artisans obtained “feathers, hides and bones” from these animals to create prestige goods. According to the archaeological remains found, it seems that some specimens were used as offerings inside the Templo Mayor.

Although historical records and accounts of this site are numerous, archaeologists and historians are cautious about which animals were actually there — and especially about the exact location where Moctezuma’s zoo was built. Elizalde Méndez acknowledges that “the information we have is scarce.”

Andrea Fischer contributes to the features desk at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.

1...899091...2,276Page 90 of 2,276