Headlines
Mexico Invites Spain's King to the World Cup Opening Match
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 19, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 19, 2026
Quick Summary
Mexico has extended an invitation to Spain’s King Felipe VI to attend the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a move coinciding with the King’s recent acknowledgment of colonial-era abuses by Spain.
Mexico invites Spain's king to World Cup opening match
Diplomatic Relations and World Cup Invitation
By Raul Cortes and Aida Pelaez-Fernandez
Invitation to King Felipe VI
MEXICO CITY, March 19 (Reuters) - Mexico has invited Spain's King Felipe VI to attend the World Cup opening match, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday, marking a thawing in relations after she did not invite him to her inauguration ceremony.
Role of Gabriela Cuevas and Diplomatic Outreach
Mexico's government representative for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Gabriela Cuevas sent invitations to all the countries with which Mexico has diplomatic relations, and among those invited was Felipe VI, Sheinbaum told a daily press conference.
Historical Context and Recent Developments
Colonial-Era Tensions
Sheinbaum did not invite Felipe VI to her 2024 inauguration after the monarch declined to apologize for colonial-era abuses.
Spain's Colonial Legacy
In the 16th to 18th centuries, Spain ruled one of the world's largest ever empires, spanning five continents, including much of Latin America, where it practiced forced labor, land expropriation and violence against Indigenous peoples.
King Felipe VI's Acknowledgment
Felipe VI unexpectedly acknowledged abuses in his country's colonial past on Monday.
International Reactions
The king's comments followed a speech by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Munich last month, in which Rubio criticized a decline of "great Western empires" and said Washington did not want allies "shackled by guilt and shame."
Sheinbaum's Response
Sheinbaum said on Tuesday the latest comments were a conciliatory gesture on the king's part, but "it wasn't everything we would have wanted."
World Cup Opening Match Details
Mexico will play South Africa in the World Cup's opening match, which is scheduled for June 11 in Azteca Stadium - where Pele dazzled with Brazil in 1970 and Maradona's "hand of God" propelled Argentina to glory in 1986.
(Reporting by Raul Cortes and Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; Editing by Sarah Morland, Kylie Madry, Rod Nickel)
Key Takeaways
- •President Sheinbaum invited all countries with diplomatic ties, including Spain, to World Cup matches held in Mexico (elpais.com)
- •King Felipe VI recently recognized that Spain’s conquest of the Americas involved “much abuse and ethical controversies,” marking a rare conciliatory gesture (apnews.com)
- •The invitation has been portrayed as part of a potential thaw in bilateral relations, though Sheinbaum emphasized it was not a targeted diplomatic overture (elpais.com)
References
- Sheinbaum resta importancia a la carta a Felipe VI: "Se invitó al Mundial a todos los países con los que México tiene relación"
- Spain's king acknowledges 'much abuse' in the conquest of the Americas
- Un Mundial para el deshielo: la invitación de México a Felipe VI que busca normalizar la relación con España
Frequently Asked Questions about Mexico invites Spain's king to the World Cup opening match
1Who has Mexico invited to the World Cup opening match?
Mexico has invited Spain's King Felipe VI, along with representatives from countries with which it has diplomatic relations.
2Who confirmed the invitation to Spain's king?
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the invitation during a daily press conference.
3Why is the invitation to Spain's King Felipe VI significant?
The invitation comes after King Felipe VI acknowledged abuses during Spain's colonial past, which has been a sensitive topic between Mexico and Spain.
4Did Mexico invite Spain's king to previous official events?
No, Claudia Sheinbaum did not invite King Felipe VI to her 2024 inauguration after he declined to apologise for colonial-era abuses.
