The 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Mexican government’s electric vehicle project were among the topics President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about at her Thursday morning press conference.
Here is a recap of the president’s June 12 mañanera.
Sheinbaum: FIFA World Cup opening will be a ‘very special moment for Mexico’
Sheinbaum declared that next year’s FIFA World Cup — to be co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada — will be “very special.”
The opening match of the quadrennial event will be played at the Estadio Azteca (Aztec Stadium) in Mexico City on June 11, 2026, meaning that the commencement of the tournament is now less than a year away.
Sheinbaum said that Mexico will need to collaborate with its co-hosts (and USMCA partners) in a range of ways to ensure the event is a success.
“The football World Cup is the world’s premier event,” she said.
“… In Mexico it will be in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Yesterday the Cup was with [Mexico City Mayor] Clara [Bruagada],” Sheinbaum said, seemingly giving precedence to the winner’s trophy.
“The cup visited Clara Brugada,” she added.
Sheinbaum said that the 2026 World Cup will give Mexicans the opportunity to show that they are the “best fans in the world,” a controversial statement given that those very fans have been punished in the past for using a homophobic chant at matches.
The president also told reporters that her government wants World Cup-related activities to be held in all 32 states, not just in those that will host matches.
“It’s a very beautiful project that will elevate the name of Mexico. We also hope that the national team does very well,” she said.
Asked whether she would attend the inauguration of the 2026 World Cup, Sheinbaum responded, “I don’t know yet. Politics is for some things and sport is for others, and you have to give each its space.”
#BuenosDías#Mundial2026 #CapitalDeLaTransformación pic.twitter.com/xea9B265Ba
— Clara Brugada Molina (@ClaraBrugadaM) June 12, 2025
Sheinbaum nevertheless declared that the World Cup opening ceremony at Estadio Azteca will be a “very, very good event.”
“… It will be a special moment for Mexico,” she said, adding that she expected a worldwide audience similar to the 550 million people who watched the opening match in Qatar at the 2022 World Cup.
“In addition Mexico City is the only city that [will] have held the opening ceremony of the World Cup three times,” said Sheinbaum, who confirmed that she is a football fan herself.
Mexico’s electric vehicle project going ‘very well,’ says Sheinbaum
A reporter asked the president how the federal government project to build an electric vehicle is progressing. The Sheinbaum administration said in January that it was planning to debut the vehicle — called Olinia — at the 2026 World Cup opening match in Mexico City.
Sheinbaum said on Thursday that the project is going “very well.”
She confirmed that “the idea” was to “present” the vehicle at Estadio Azteca on the day of the opening match of the World Cup, but asserted that it was too early to say whether that would in fact happen.
She indicated that only a prototype, rather than the final model, would be ready next year.
“The idea is that next year … the first prototypes will begin to be produced,” Sheinbaum said, adding that the goal was to subsequently commence “mass production” via a joint venture between the government and a private company.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
