‘Tickets are very expensive’: Mexican president Sheinbaum explains why she did not attend World Cup opener

• President gave ticket to a young female soccer fan

• ‘I gave it to someone who couldn’t go, who loves football’

The Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, explained on Friday why she was absent from the Azteca Stadium during https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/11/mexico-south-africa-world-cup-2026-group-a-match-report">Mexico’s opening match with South Africa, saying that tickets to the match were unaffordable for most Mexicans and that she had given her ticket to a young female soccer fan.

“Stadium tickets are very expensive,” Sheinbaum said during her daily morning news conference. “As president it’s better that I give my place to someone who couldn’t have gone, who loves football, especially a young woman, and I can celebrate it with the people for free.”