Mexico has invited King Felipe VI of Spain to be present at the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced at a daily press briefing on Thursday.
The invitation was issued by Gabriela Cuevas, Mexico's government representative for the 2026 World Cup, who sent invitations to all countries with which Mexico maintains diplomatic relations. Sheinbaum confirmed that Felipe VI was among the leaders invited.
Sheinbaum had not invited the Spanish monarch to her 2024 inauguration after he declined to apologise for abuses committed during Spain's colonial rule. The article notes that, between the 16th and 18th centuries, Spain governed an expansive empire across five continents, including large parts of Latin America, where forced labor, land expropriation and violence against Indigenous peoples took place.
On Monday, King Felipe VI unexpectedly acknowledged abuses in Spain's colonial past. The king's remarks followed a speech delivered in Munich last month by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which Rubio criticised a decline of "great Western empires" and said the United States did not want allies "shackled by guilt and shame."
President Sheinbaum described the king's recent comments as a conciliatory gesture, saying on Tuesday that while the remarks represented progress, "it wasn't everything we would have wanted."
The opening match of the World Cup will feature Mexico versus South Africa and is scheduled for June 11 at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium. The venue has hosted historic World Cup moments, including Pele's performance for Brazil in 1970 and Diego Maradona's "hand of God" goal that propelled Argentina in 1986.
Context and implications
The invitation to Felipe VI signals a measured diplomatic reopening between Mexico and Spain after a period of tension tied to the monarch's previous stance on colonial-era responsibility. The outreach was framed within the protocol for the 2026 World Cup, with the government representative tasked with contacting all diplomatic partners.
At this stage, the public record reflects an invitation and comments by Mexican officials about the king's recent acknowledgement; it does not state whether Felipe VI has accepted the invitation.
Quote highlights
"it wasn't everything we would have wanted."
"great Western empires"; "shackled by guilt and shame."