Sheinbaum to Join Trump at World Cup Final amid strained U.S.-Mexico ties

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed Friday that she will accept U.S. President Donald Trump's invitation to attend the World Cup final this weekend in New Jersey.

"I received an invitation from President Trump to go Sunday to the final of the World Cup. I made the decision, yes, to go because, well, it’s a direct invitation from the president of the United States," Sheinbaum told reporters after an event in the coastal state of Quintana Roo. She added that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will also be in attendance and promised a more detailed statement on Saturday afternoon. She plans to return to her regular duties by Monday morning.

The match, kicking off at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday (Monday 1 AM BST) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, will feature Argentina and Spain. Trump—long expected to attend—will join FIFA President Gianni Infantino in presenting the trophy to the winners.

This will be Sheinbaum's first World Cup match in person. She had previously given away her ticket to the tournament's inaugural game in Mexico City on June 11 to an Indigenous girl who plays soccer, though she did attend at least two fan festivals during Mexico's national team matches.

The first joint World Cup hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada has served as a rare diplomatic bridge among the three neighbors, whose relations have at times been tense. Sheinbaum first met Trump in person at the World Cup draw ceremony in December 2025, where all three leaders selected their nations' groups at the Kennedy Center.

The presidential invitation comes despite recent friction. Earlier this month, Sheinbaum announced she would pursue legal action in U.S. courts after several Mexican nationals died in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). On July 14, Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs detailed the plan, saying the government would file complaints with the U.S. Department of Justice and state attorneys general, send cease-and-desist letters to the detention facilities involved, and ask U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk to launch an investigation.

For now, however, the three North American leaders will share a stadium seat—a moment of unity on the pitch even as deeper disputes continue off it. (Source: USA Today)