Is Mexico about to lose its place in football history? All signs point to yes. The battle for the opening of the 2026 World Cup has turned into a game of power, geopolitics, and even gentrification.
According to an investigation by the Proceso magazine, the government of Canada would be pressuring to snatch away from Mexico the opening match of the World Cup. The reason? The recent protests in Mexico City, the increasing levels of insecurity in key areas such as Calzada de Tlalpan —direct route to the Azteca Stadium— and the murder of two close collaborators of Clara Brugada, head of the Mexico City Government.
Infantino, Trump and the offices in the Tower
Publimetro Mexico had already revealed that FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, has an increasingly close relationship with Donald Trump, the US president. So far this year, Infantino has visited Trump at least five times, set up FIFA offices in the Trump Tower in New York, and this Sunday personally handed the Club World Cup trophy to Chelsea, alongside the former president.
The images of the event, shared by international media, have raised suspicions in the highest circles of world football: is FIFA favoring the United States and Canada over Mexico?
Canada plays its card with Carney
The article from Proceso details that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has wasted no time. Taking advantage of the adverse political and social climate in Mexico, he has already submitted his proposal for Canada to host the opening match. This strategy is not new: Carney would also seek to use the ultraconservative immigration policies promoted by Trump to block Mexico as a “safe” option for the opening.
Additionally, outlets such as La Política Online and La Columna Digital confirmed that officials close to the FMF (Mexican Football Federation) acknowledge that the situation in the Mexican capital has raised alarm within FIFA.
And what about the Azteca Stadium?
Although the official FIFA calendar establishes that the Azteca Stadium will be the venue for the first match on June 11, 2026, its renovation is still ongoing. Grupo Ollamani, its owner, has promised that it will be ready by March 2026 and will be named Mexico City Stadium during the tournament.
But the delays, recent disturbances in the Roma and Condesa neighborhoods —epicenter of the anti-gentrification march on July 4— and the increasing international scrutiny have called into question its viability as the inaugural stadium.
These are the matches of the 2026 World Cup in Mexico (for now)
According to the FIFA calendar, Mexico would host a total of 13 matches, distributed between Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. These include at least three matches of the National Team, one of them scheduled for the opening at the Azteca Stadium. However, if Canadian pressures take effect, that honor could vanish.
So far, neither FIFA, nor FMF, nor Gabriela Cuevas as Mexico’s representative for the FIFA World Cup 2026 have issued an official statement. But rumors are growing, and the silence is heavy. Will Mexico lose the opening of its own World Cup? The next few weeks could be decisive.