Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced she will attend the World Cup final this Sunday after receiving a direct invitation from President Trump. The event, which will be held in New Jersey, marks the first meeting between the two leaders since their encounter at the World Cup draw last December. Their relationship has been strained by months of verbal sparring and ongoing disputes regarding trade and security.
Sheinbaum confirmed her attendance to Mexican media, noting that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is also expected to be present. Spain's King Felipe VI is also slated to attend the match, which features a final between Argentina and Spain. The World Cup is being hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico, and Canada for the first time.
While Sheinbaum opted not to attend the tournament's opening match in Mexico City—where she chose to give her ticket to a young Indigenous woman as her national team defeated South Africa 2-0—she stated that the direct invitation from the U.S. president influenced her decision to attend the final. FIFA listed the cheapest tickets for the match at nearly $10,000 as of Saturday afternoon.
The diplomatic meeting occurs against a backdrop of significant bilateral friction. In May, the U.S. State Department initiated a review of 53 Mexican consulates following the deaths of two CIA officers during an operation in Northern Mexico. Furthermore, in June, President Trump announced that the United States would not extend the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a critical trade pact, until 2042. Despite these public disagreements and the exchange of political barbs, both leaders have continued to pledge cooperation. Officials from both countries are scheduled to convene for another round of bilateral trade negotiations just two days after the final match.
