We will experience an inclusive World Cup of respect and rights: Brugada
Tournament countdown clock unveiled
We will experience an inclusive World Cup of respect and rights: Brugada
The head of government's message contrasts with the US's anti-immigrant policy.
▲ Félix Aguirre, director of the Banorte Stadium; Clara Brugada, head of the Mexico City government; Alessandro del Piero, former Italian World Cup player; Jurguen Mainka, head of FIFA Mexico; and Alejandra Frausto, Mexico City's Secretary of Tourism, attended the unveiling of the countdown clock to 2026 yesterday. Photo by Cristina Rodríguez
Erendira Palma Hernández
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 12, 2025, p. a10
Amid tensions over Donald Trump's radical policies against undocumented immigrants in the United States, Mexico presents a contrasting picture. Clara Brugada, head of the Mexico City government, yesterday unveiled the countdown clock marking one year until the 2026 World Cup, while also delivering a message of inclusion and empathy to all fans who come to the country to enjoy the tournament.
(The World Cup) is not just about goals, trophies, and celebrations, but also about humanity, inclusion, respect, and rights. It's about the happiness of those of us who live here, of football fans, and of those who visit us. It's about millions of people coming together in peace, with joy, to celebrate what unites us beyond our differences
, he said.
While Mexico, the United States, and Canada won the 2026 World Cup bid with an image of unity, they now face an uncertain outlook due to President Trump's harsh immigration measures, which even ordered raids in Los Angeles, a city with a large Mexican population.
Faced with this scenario, Brugada took advantage of the 365-day countdown ceremony toward the World Cup to express a position contrary to that of the U.S. president and to confirm the warmth with which the tricolors usually welcome foreigners or fans at international events such as the 1970 and 1986 World Cups.
City with a big heart
We are a city with a big heart, welcoming all nations, cultures, and beliefs, and we also believe that diversity is humanity's greatest asset. Unlike...
, Brugada added, pausing in his speech.
“This city is born of diversity. That will be felt in the World Cup atmosphere. A metropolis that will experience the World Cup without racism, classism, discrimination, xenophobia, and homophobia. A World Cup for everyone. Here, all fans are welcome , and we will welcome them with joy,” he said.
Brugada and Alessandro del Piero, World Cup champion with Italy in 2006, unveiled the World Cup countdown clock, which will be open to the public on Paseo de la Reforma Avenue, in front of the Auditorio Metro station.
As part of the activities leading up to the World Cup, more than 40 iconic buildings and landmarks in Mexico City were also lit up in green on Wednesday night, including the Zócalo, Bellas Artes, the Ferris wheel (in Parque Aztlán), and the Angel of Independence.
The head of government emphasized that 6 billion pesos have been invested in Mexico City to host the World Cup and expects more than 5 million tourists to arrive during the tournament.
We're building a legacy, and we're proud of it. We've made a historic investment in public works, infrastructure, water, security, and mobility. We'll experience a safe World Cup with services that are up to par.
The great soccer celebration will begin on June 11 with an opening match at the Azteca Stadium, which will become the only venue to host three World Cups. The final will be on July 19 in New York.
Fight of box holders
As the main venue for the World Cup, the Azteca Stadium is undergoing renovations. Brugada noted that these works should also benefit the building's residents. "We will strengthen the rights of residents (who live in the immediate vicinity of the stadium) with more water, better public spaces, and more services
," he asserted.
Félix Aguirre, the stadium's director, indicated that they are close to reaching an agreement with the owners of the boxes and stalls, who are demanding the validity of their 100-year contract for the World Cup. The stadium has worked with FIFA on several options for this matter. We hope to present a mutually beneficial plan in a few weeks
.
The contest will allow Mexico to be seen and promoted, says Sheinbaum
Emir Olivares and Alma E. Muñoz
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 12, 2025, p. a10
The 2026 World Cup will be a space to showcase Mexico to the world and promote tourism in the country, said President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo.
Exactly one year before the start of the World Cup—organized by FIFA and also to be held in Canada and the United States—the federal president emphasized that while the Mexican venues will be Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, the intention is to connect all 32 states to promote tourism.
"Yesterday (Tuesday) we had a meeting about the World Cup, and we'll have several more. It's a very important international event, compared to any other sporting event, and it's the one with the highest global viewership, with hundreds of millions of people watching it.
"It's a very special moment for Mexico; the inauguration will take place here (on June 11, 2026). And we're working with the three governments (of Mexico City, Jalisco, and Nuevo León), because it's not just the matches, everything related to the relationship with FIFA, but also what we're going to do around the World Cup
," he noted.
The head of the Executive emphasized that the intention is to take advantage of next year's soccer tournament to promote the entire country.
What we want is for the 32 states of the Republic to be connected, for it to be a moment of promoting tourism and highlighting Mexico to the world.
To this end, he said, virtually his entire cabinet is working, especially Gabriela Cuevas, in charge of coordinating the 2026 World Cup.
Karla Torrijos
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 12, 2025, p. a11
The tense climate in Los Angeles due to the recent wave of protests against immigration raids in that city represents a worrying and extremely high-risk scenario
ahead of the Gold Cup and Club World Cup, which will be held this summer in the United States, said Juan Carlos Barrón, researcher and academic secretary of the Center for Research on North America (CISAN) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), who also indicated that the next few days will be crucial
to see what measures FIFA will take in response to this situation.
The protests began last Friday in downtown Los Angeles, just days before the start of the tournaments; the Cup kicks off this Saturday. The protests, held in protest against President Donald Trump's immigration policies, as well as the mass raids and deportations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have led to riots and clashes with police, who have responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades.
In recent days, protests have spread to other locations in the United States where large Latino populations reside and where matches in the aforementioned tournaments will be held, including Texas, New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Denver, Philadelphia, and Boston, among others. In Los Angeles, a curfew was even declared last Tuesday to curb vandalism and looting.
More protests are being prepared
In addition, according to a report in the Miami newspaper El Nuevo Herald , a group critical of Trump's policies called No Kings is organizing massive mobilizations for Saturday in more than 1,500 cities across the United States, many of them in Florida, which will coincide with a military parade to be held in Washington to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. army and Flag Day, as well as the president's 79th birthday.
These events have caused anxiety among fans planning to attend both the Gold Cup and the Club World Cup, the opening ceremonies of which will take place in Los Angeles and Miami, respectively.
The Mexican national team will be the team that kicks off the Gold Cup this Saturday when it faces the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Its next group stage matches will also be in Texas and Nevada.
Meanwhile, the Mexican teams participating in the Club World Cup (Monterrey and Pachuca) will play their initial round matches in Pasadena (California), Cincinnati (Ohio), Charlotte (North Carolina), and Nashville (Tennessee).
The uncertainty surrounding whether or not to attend these tournaments increases after the altercations already affected the logistics of the tricolor team, which was forced to change its hotel in Los Angeles due to security concerns.
Likewise, in Tuesday's friendly match in North Carolina, where Mexico defeated Turkey 1-0, more than half of the tickets went unsold. According to the American company Soccer United Marketing, which promotes the Tricolor matches in that country, attendance did not reach more than 20,000 fans, while the average attendance for the national team's matches was just over 50,000.
In an interview with La Jornada , Barrón Pastor noted that "there had already been warnings about the ideological gap that exists between the values promoted by FIFA and those that prevail in the Trump administration, where there has been an increase in authoritarianism and xenophobia.
Gianni Infantino (FIFA president) has tried to stay close to the president, they've gone on trips together, taken photos, but that hasn't guaranteed anything on migration issues.
Barrón opined that it would be prudent to change the venue
of the matches scheduled for Los Angeles, or even postpone them
, given that they could become targets of ICE maneuvers and lead to large-scale clashes. If they're detaining people in workplaces, what can we expect at soccer games? A confrontational scenario would definitely not benefit FIFA or the U.S. government in any way
.
He recalled that on other, less serious occasions, FIFA has postponed matches, such as when an Israeli team visited a European country for a Champions League match; so, in this case, rescheduling matches could be even more appropriate.
The specialist also estimated that we are facing the real possibility that California will act more decisively to avoid affecting its businesses. Ultimately, we are talking about tourism, stadium tickets, lodging, transportation, food, and everything that an event of this type entails, so it will be very interesting to see what happens in the coming days
.
Finally, he pointed out that this situation contradicts everything FIFA aims for. Infantino has talked about inclusion, but that's the last thing on the agenda right now, which, of course, poses a huge challenge for FIFA, as what's happening could be interpreted as the US government underestimating the importance of these events
.
Meanwhile, CONCACAF stated yesterday that it maintains close and ongoing communication
with Los Angeles authorities and emphasized that the safety of fans, players, and staff in general remains its "top priority."
We will continue to actively monitor developments as we work to deliver a world-class tournament that showcases the very best of our sport in a safe, inclusive and enjoyable environment for all, beginning with the opening match on Saturday in Los Angeles
, the statement said.
The celebration of football should not be built on job insecurity, warns Gómez Urrutia.
Fernando Camacho and Enrique Méndez
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 12, 2025, p. a11
With a view to the 2026 World Cup, it is necessary to ensure that Mexican workers receive fair wages and decent working conditions, so that the sporting event is not built on job insecurity
, said Representative Napoleón Gómez Urrutia (Morena).
In the context of a forum held yesterday in San Lázaro, the legislator welcomed the return of the World Cup to the country, but at the same time warned of the dangers of not respecting the rights of the workers who will make this event possible, as occurred in the 2022 Qatar tournament, where 6,000 construction workers died.
“We cannot allow inequalities to deepen during this World Cup (in 2026). On the contrary, we must make it a turning point so that together—governments, businesses, and unions—we can build more equitable, fairer, and more humane working conditions throughout North America,” Gómez Urrutia emphasized.
During the meeting, the representative recalled that the World Cup involves hundreds of thousands of people working in strategic sectors
, ranging from hospitality to transportation and food.
All women deserve fair working hours, social security, union protection, safe working conditions, decent wages, and a work environment free from violence and discrimination
. They also need a gender-sensitive approach, as women face the heaviest workloads.
Gómez Urrutia reported that during the most recent visit by the International Confederation of Building and Wood Workers to inspect construction work related to the tournament, they were not allowed to visit the Azteca stadium
to supervise the working conditions of the workers, and therefore called for this type of inspection not to be halted due to personal interests
.
Rosario Ortiz, general secretary of the Network of Women Trade Unionists, emphasized that organizing mega-sporting projects, such as the World Cup, has a social and environmental impact that must be monitored. She warned that it is still unclear whether the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) already has a human rights project in Mexico.
In Mexico, he emphasized, what happened in Qatar 2022, where 6,000 employees died due to a lack of minimum safety and hygiene conditions, must be avoided. It was a catastrophe for construction workers in that country
.
Fight announced for July 12
Marco Verde is a diamond in the rough and we're going to polish him: Eddy Reynoso
Adriana Díaz Reyes
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 12, 2025, p. a12
Although Marco Verde has landed very few blows in the professional ranks, his career in paid boxing can go as far as he wants.
Eddy Reynoso, his manager and trainer for Saúl Canelo Álvarez, asserted that the boxer is a diamond in the rough with the potential to become the next big boxing star in the country.
"It would be mediocre to think he couldn't be like Canelo ; after Julio César Chávez, many believed no one could win titles in different weight classes, and he did. Mexican boxing is the best in the world, and anything is possible," Reynoso stated during the presentation of Verde's second professional fight.
As long as Canelo is active, the trainer added, he will oversee the career of the Olympic silver medalist, whom he described as a disciplined and committed athlete.
We want to emulate what we did many years ago with Saúl. We have everything we need to make him one of the best, and we're going to work hard. He's a diamond in the rough, and we're going to polish him to take him to the top. He has plenty of talent and discipline
, he explained.
Verde's training, Reynoso explained, will be distributed throughout Mexico and the United States. We want him to compete in other states and also fight in the north; that will improve his performance and help him become familiar with fighters in his weight class
.
Verde's next match will take place on July 12 at the Juan S. Millán Sports Center in Culiacán, Sinaloa.
It's going to be a great celebration, because what he did in Paris made him an example for many children. His medal encouraged those who didn't dare to pursue their dreams, to be brave.
The boxer declared himself ready for his second fight in paid boxing, which will take place in his native Sinaloa.
▲ The fight will take place in Culiacán and will be the Olympic silver medalist's second professional bout. Photo @MarcoAGreen
Promises more spectacle
"My first fight wasn't what I expected. I hope this time there will be more rounds and more spectacle. I'm preparing myself physically and mentally to go out there with my arm raised and give my fans something to cheer about," he said.
The Sinaloan spoke respectfully about his rival, Venezuelan Humberto López, an opponent who has an 8-2 record and several knockouts.
"It'll be a tough six- round fight, but I'll have the fans' support. I feel comfortable, though not confident, because he's also preparing to win."
–How complicated has the transition to professionalism been?
"It's very tough after more than a decade as an amateur. I was used to fighting three rounds at a fast pace, but I've learned to calm down because the fights are longer now. I'm taking it slow; I'm not in a hurry because it's a radical change," explained the boxer, who fights at 160 pounds.
In his professional debut on May 3, El Green knocked out Michel Polina in just seconds, who declared that the Mexican defeated him thanks to the fact that he had to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time.
If you want to be a professional, you have to be ready 365 days a year. I'm in shape, always training, and every boxer has to do the same because it's their profession. I think he should have been in shape; I just played my fight
, he concluded.
Present at the announcement of the upcoming fight were Culiacán Mayor Juan de Dios Mendívil and Sinaloa Tourism Secretary Mireya Sosa.
Adriana Díaz Reyes
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 12, 2025, p. a12
The World Athletics Athletics Integrity Unit (AUI) has suspended Mexican marathon runner Citlali Moscote for three years after testing positive for the banned substance octodrine.
The champion of the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, took an anti-doping test last January after participating in a 10-kilometer race in Valencia, Spain. Three weeks later, a World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory in Barcelona reported an adverse result in her sample.
Moscote argued that her consumption of the substance was not intentional, but rather due to a contaminated product. The long-distance runner requested an analysis of her supplements, but the UIA determined that the evidence presented was insufficient to avoid the sanction.
Finding no other way to avoid punishment, Moscote, 30, decided to accept the suspension. This isn't the first time the national team player has tested positive for banned substances. In July 2019, she was given a two-year ban due to the presence of oxilofrine and phenpromethamine in a sample taken from the athlete on April 7 of that year.
For his performance, Moscote received a 24,000-peso scholarship from September to December 2024; in January and February of this year, it was reduced to 15,000 pesos, before finally losing the support last March due to the possibility of a positive doping test.
The Mexican woman's punishment will end on March 24, 2028, just a few months before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Before Moscote, athletes like Olympic silver medalist Lupita González were sanctioned.
In addition to a four-year suspension imposed by the UIA for failing a doping test (trenbolone, an anabolic steroid), González is serving an extended suspension for lying during his defense since November 2018, according to a ruling by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal.
González will be eligible to return to competition on November 15, 2026. Her goal is to seek a spot on the national team and participate in the Pan American Games, the World Championships, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
In 2024, Eduardo Rodríguez, who won silver in the 1,500 meters at the 2018 Barranquilla Central American and Caribbean Games, was suspended for three years after the presence of boldenone was detected in his system.
The runner argued that the substance could have come from a medical injection, a post-operative supplement, or meat consumption.
Pacers regain NBA Finals lead over Thunder
▲ Indiana's Mathurin led his team to retake the lead in the finals. AP Photo
Ap
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 12, 2025, p. a30
Indianapolis. Benedict Mathurin led his team with 27 points off the bench, and Tyrese Haliburton added 22 as the Indiana Pacers reclaimed the lead in the NBA Finals with a 116-107 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3.
Indiana, which lost Game 2 at Oklahoma a few days ago, improved its record to 10-0 since mid-March in games following a loss. Several players contributed at different times and were key,
said Haliburton, one of the Pacers' leaders.
For the Thunder, Jalen Williams led the way with 26 points, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 24, and Chet Holmgren with 20. Oklahoma held a five-point lead going into the fourth quarter but couldn't hold on. Game 4 will be played again in Indianapolis on Friday night.
History now favors the Pacers because in the previous 41 NBA Finals, which were tied 1-1, the team that won Game 3 went on to win 33 times, or 80.5 percent of the time.
Fans at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis witnessed a close and exciting duel from start to finish, at times worthy of the history books. There were 15 ties throughout the game. To put this into context, last year's Finals between Boston and Dallas had only 13 total over five games.
TJ McConnell contributed 10 points, five assists, and the same number of steals for Indiana. Since these statistics have been recorded, no reserve has achieved that combination in a Finals game.
“We had guys who came through again and again,” Haliburton added. “Our second unit was sensational.” With less than three minutes left, Aaron Nesmith committed a hard foul on Alex Caruso, leading to a lengthy review by the officials to determine if it deserved to be called a flagrant foul. Ultimately, it was ruled a common foul, and Caruso was awarded only two free throws.
The Pacers, playing an NBA Finals game at home for the first time in 25 years, maintained their composure and control until the end.
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