MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum met on Monday with FIFA's President Gianni Infantino to assess preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada in June and July.
Sheinbaum said on her social media account that she had breakfast with Infantino at the National Palace “because we are evaluating everything for the upcoming World Cup,” adding that “everything is going to be wonderful.”
The tournament kicks off on June 11 at the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City with a match between the hosts and South Africa.
A friendly match between Mexico and Portugal was held at the Mexico City stadium last Saturday as part of the World Cup preparations. The event was marred by the death of a fan who fell from the second tier to the ground floor in the VIP box area.
“This inauguration is going to be historic, exceptional,” said Sheinbaum while holding a FIFA pennant alongside Infantino.
The FIFA president echoed Sheinbaum’s sentiments, assuring that the World Cup will be “a success for Mexico.”
Infantino has been in Mexico since last week when he attended two Intercontinental Cup playoff matches in Guadalajara and Monterrey. He was also in Mexico City over the weekend for events with the Mexican Football Federation.
Concerns arose following the violent events that occurred on Feb. 22 in several Mexican cities after the capture and death of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in southern Jalisco state.
Among the cities hit by the wave of violence was Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco, which will be one of the three Mexican host cities for the World Cup, along with Mexico City and Monterrey, the capital of Nuevo León state.
Mexico is scheduled to host 13 World Cup matches.
In early March, Mexican authorities presented their security plan for the World Cup, called “Plan Kukulkán,” which will involve some 100,000 members of the military and police forces, both federal and local.
The plan includes specialized training for officials, planning and operational exercises, early warning systems, security measures around stadiums, airports, roads, and hotels.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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