Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds

• ⚽🇲🇽 El Tri advance to knockout stage: Sheinbaum opened her mañanera with applause for Mexico’s 1-0 victory over South Korea in Guadalajara on Thursday, which made El Tri the first team to qualify for the round of 32. She presented a video of post-match celebrations across the country, including massive crowds at the Angel of Independence on Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City.
• 🌍🏟️ World Cup going smoothly in host cities: Sheinbaum said the tournament has been “very good, marvelous” across Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, with no major problems, praising Mexican fans with a score of 10 out of 10 for their behavior.
• 🌮✈️ Sheinbaum pitches Mexico to the world: Stepping into tourism ambassador mode, Sheinbaum invited international visitors to “come to live Mexico,” highlighting the country’s hospitality, culture and landscapes. She screened an ESPN México video featuring foreign fans at the Zócalo Fan Festival, one of whom declared that Mexico is “the best place in the world right now.”
• 🦆 World Cup duck Merlin headed to the mañanera: Sheinbaum announced she will invite Karla Ivette Gómez and her viral two-year-old duck Merlin — who became a social media sensation after appearing in a Mexico jersey at post-match celebrations — to a future press conference, calling Merlin “a small symbol of our culture.”

Why today’s mañanera matters

Today’s mañanera began in exactly the same way as that held last Friday. President Claudia Sheinbaum applauded as she walked into the Treasury Hall of the National Palace, celebrating the second consecutive victory of the Mexican team in the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup. With its 1-0 victory over South Korea in Guadalajara on Thursday night, the Mexican team, commonly known as El Tri, became the first team to qualify for the round of 32 knockout stage of the World Cup.

In addition to congratulating El Tri, Sheinbaum gave a positive assessment of the World Cup to date in Mexico, which has hosted five matches over the past week.

Muchas felicidades a nuestra Selección. Su triunfo llena de orgullo a todo México 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/Si7kvuvyqC

— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) June 19, 2026

Despite concerns about insecurity — perhaps overplayed by some international media outlets — and fears that protests could disrupt the tournament, the World Cup in Mexico has not been plagued by any major problems, the president said.

Thus, to date, the World Cup in Mexico has served as a massive tourism advertisement, of sorts, for the country. On Friday morning, Sheinbaum stepped into the role of tourism ambassador, inviting potential international tourists to visit Mexico and experience the full Mexican experience.

Also of note at today’s mañanera was the president’s announcement that she will invite a very special guest to one of her future press conferences.

Sheinbaum congratulates El Tri 

“Happy? Content? We’re all very excited — pure happiness,” Sheinbaum said at the start of her presser.

“Congratulations to the national team for the game, for the goal, for the goalkeeper’s save [late in the match] and for the happiness they give to the people of Mexico. Many congratulations,” she said.

Sheinbaum subsequently presented a video showing post-match celebrations in different cities around the country, including Mexico City, where a huge crowd of revelers descended on Paseo de la Reforma and the Angel of Independence monument, which is located on the emblematic avenue.

“Many congratulations again to the [Mexican] team and to all Mexicans,” the president said after the video finished.

Sheinbaum: World Cup is going ‘very well’ in the 3 Mexican host cities 

Since the World Cup began in Mexico City with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on June 11, the tournament has been going “very well” in the three Mexican host cities, Sheinbaum told reporters.

Mexico City and Guadalajara have now hosted two matches each, while one has been played in Monterrey and a second — Tunisia vs. Japan — will be played in the Nuevo León capital on Saturday night.

Sheinbaum said “there really hasn’t been any problem” in the three Mexican host cities since the tournament began.

She subsequently praised Mexican fans on their behavior, giving them a score of 10 out of 10.

The tournament has been “very good, marvelous,” Sheinbaum said before telling reporters that the government’s World Cup security team has been working “very well” every day.

Sheinbaum: ‘Come to live Mexico’ 

Sheinbaum said that the kind of happiness on display in Mexico after the victories of the Mexican World Cup team is unique, telling reporters that it is “not seen just anywhere.”

She said that “the happiness, hospitality and affection” of the Mexican people makes Mexico an attractive place to visit.

“And of course Mexico offers landscapes and culture — we’re a cultural power,” Sheinbaum said.

“… What’s happening in Mexico today is a message to the world,” she said.

“Come to live Mexico. It’s not just about visiting a place, come to experience who we Mexicans are,” Sheinbaum said.

She subsequently presented an ESPN México social media video titled “Extranjeros enamorados de México,” or “Foreigners in love with Mexico.”

@espnmx “ES LO MEJOR QUE HE VISTO EN MI VIDA” 🤩 Los extranjeros encantados con el ambiente mundialista en el Fan Festival de la Ciudad de México.🇲🇽 🙌 #Mexico #WorldCup #Tiktokdeportes #futbol #seleccionmexicana ♬ sonido original – ESPN México

From the FIFA Fan Festival in the Zócalo, Mexico City’s central square, one tourist from Ireland, who was wearing the Mexican team shirt, declared that Mexico is “the best place in the world right now.”

“The Mexicans know how to do it,” he added.

A tourist from Brazil said that the Mexican people are “very warm” and that “everything is wonderful.”

“The [World Cup] opening ceremony was good, the food is good, the place is good, the people are good, so we’re very happy,” he said.

Sheinbaum said that while the government is dedicating “very few resources” to tourism promotion, the work of Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez is “very effective” and Mexico is “making itself known all over the world.”

Sheinbaum says she will invite Merlin, the ‘World Cup duck,’ to the National Palace 

Sheinbaum told reporters that she would invite Karla Ivette Gómez and her famous “World Cup duck” to one of her future mañaneras.

“I’m going to invite her — her name is Karla, right? — so that she brings Merlin here to the mañanera,” she said.

Merlin, the “World Cup duck,” as Mexico News Daily reported this week, has become the tournament’s early breakout star.

Merlin, the World Cup Duck, may be the Mexican team’s biggest fan

“Dressed in a green Mexico jersey, socks and sneakers, the 2-year-old duck wandered through celebrating crowds in Mexico City after the home team’s 2-0 victory over South Africa — drawing wide grins, photos and millions of social media views,” MND wrote.

Merlin, Sheinbaum said, “is a small symbol of our culture, of who we are.”