Sundayâs Mexico-England showdown was the most-watched soccer match of the century in Mexico
The World Cup match between the Mexican and English national teams on Sunday drew a record television audience of 60 million viewers, making it the most-watched match of the Mexican century, Gabriela Cuevas, head of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Coordination in Mexico, reported on Tuesday.
With a number of viewers equivalent to nearly half of Mexicoâs 130 million population, Sundayâs game marked the fourth occasion that Mexico broke its own audience record during the tournament.
The Mexico-England round-of-16 match drew just over 80,000 spectators to the Mexico City Stadium. The one-hour delay of the gameâs starting time couldnât quash the fansâ energy as they belted out songs by Los Ăngeles Azules and Juan Gabriel and booed English classics by Oasis, Blur, and Queen.
England ultimately won 3-2, eliminating Mexico. Nevertheless, multiple videos emerged on social media showing Mexico fans congratulating English fans and celebrating with them.
Between June 11 and July 5, 789,766 people attended 13 World Cup matches in the three host cities: Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. The Mexico City Stadium topped the list with 404,120 attendees across the matches, while Estadio Monterrey attracted 204,716 fans, and Estadio Guadalajara hosted 180,930 spectators.
The World Cup generated over 50 billion pesos in revenue for the three host cities, according to Cuevas, while hotel occupancy rose to 80% across Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, and reached 95% in the beach destination of CancĂșn. In addition, Mexico City International Airport (AICM) brought in 6.5 billion pesos (US$ 370.3 million) during the event.
Cuevas emphasized the involvement of 99,000 security personnel and 583 hospitals designated as part of the so-called âWorld Cup Hospital Networkâ in the hosting efforts.
Images of Mexican fans celebrating the sportâs event in the streets and public squares circulated across media outlets worldwide.
âWhat we experienced here will remain in the memory of millions,â Cuevas said.
With reports from La Jornada and Infobae
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