Mexico president Sheinbaum gifts her World Cup ticket to Indigenous athlete

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum delivered a promise on Friday by giving away her ticket to the World Cup opening match.

Sheinbaum, the first female president in the country’s 200-year history, donated her ticket No. 00001 to Yolett Cervantes Cuaquehua, a 21-year-old Indigenous woman from the eastern state of Veracruz.

Mexico plays the opening match against South Africa on June 11 at Azteca Stadium.

Cervantes Cuaquehua was selected by a jury after winning a contest for her ball-handling skills.

“They are the pride of Mexico. They will not represent the president, or the head of government, they will represent Mexico,” Sheinbaum said at a press conference to give away the ticket to Cervantes Cuaquehua.

Sheinbaum also gave away tickets to other matches being played in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey — the Mexican venues for the World Cup — to three other amateur athletes aged 16, 22, and 23. They were also selected by the jury as part of a contest organized by the government.

“Thank you so much for considering us,” Cervantes Cuaquehua said.

Sheinbaum in March ruled out attending the opening game, stating she wanted to give prominence to young Mexican female soccer players.

“I think a young woman who plays soccer is a great representative of our country. Very few people will be able to attend the opening,” Sheinbaum said at the time. She added she will watch the game at the Zócalo, the capital’s main square, where a Fan Fest will be set up.

The president’s announcement generated mixed reactions in Mexico. While some considered it a commendable decision, others criticized it, arguing that it was a missed opportunity to promote the country.