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It started in the arrivals hall of Benito Juárez when our team arrived in CDMX for their latest scouting trip. Tournament posters on the walls, huge figures of footballs and trophies, workers fixing the final touches to the airport’s major upgrade. The World Cup 2026 is almost here, and Mexico is hosting the kick-off.

The Countdown to Mexico World Cup 2026 has already started

Mexico City becomes its big moments. The billboards plastered with football icons made that clear straight away, turning the streets into one giant countdown clock. In the weeks before our visit, 9,500 people had taken over the Zócalo, breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest football lesson, practicing drills under the open sky of the city’s vast main square. The capital has been making headlines beyond the pitch too: a group of Mexican artists completed the world’s largest brush-painted mural dedicated to the beautiful game, acrylics and ambition in equal measure. Everywhere you go, excited whispers of mundial.

On the road with the locals

Moving around the capital from Chapultepec Park to the Lucha libre to mouthwatering taco spots, our team could feel the anticipation of the 2026 World Cup in the air. Windows down, we chatted to our drivers while soaking in the countdown. Along with hope for their national team, “arriba México!”, and optimism for the business it would bring, “mucho trabajo!”, we got a sense of what the game means to people here. Diehard passion that runs deep, talked about with pride. Everyone has their team and their favorite players, from local divisions and Liga MX to Europe’s Champions League.

We saw this in action later while drizzling salsa on our tacos. It was match day, Pumas against América. People gathered with friends, beer in hand, one eye on their food, the other on the game. Some screaming with joy, others with head in hands. It felt like a taster of what’s to come when Mexico vs the world begins, all that devotion channeled in support of one home nation.

5 things that got us ready for World Cup Mexico 2026 

• The airport glow-up on arrival to the capital

• World Cup billboards at every turn

• Gold trophies on restaurant tables in Condesa

• Tacos with one eye on the screen, match day Pumas vs América
• Jumex Art Museum’s exhibition: Football & Art: A Shared Emotion

From the gallery floor to the street 

The tournament has permeated every layer of the capital, from high art to street-level restaurant decor. On a morning walk through the boutique shops of Roma and Condesa, we spotted the deep green of Mexico jerseys and the eagle of the country’s coat of arms, embroidered by the hands of local designers. Gold trophies topped restaurant tables and tip jars. Inside Jumex Museum’s David Chipperfield-designed building, a whole exhibition explores the game through identity, belonging, and how it shapes community. The gallery floor itself has been transformed with sand, clay and earth into the kind of pitch you would find in neighborhoods all over Mexico and beyond. It forms the grounding for artwork from Mexican and international artists spanning video, hanging textiles, photography and sculpture. Humorous, poignant, critical, exciting, unifying. All about the sport’s universal elements.

Our own Kate found that universality up close:

“When I came across Roman Manfredi’s Fair Play, featuring the women of Clapton Community FC in London, it really struck me. Having grown up in London myself, it was an unexpected reminder of home, while being thousands of miles away. Standing there in Mexico City, looking at photographs from the UK, I found myself thinking about football’s unique ability to connect people and places. Here were two countries with different histories, cultures and customs, yet both were speaking the same language through the game.” – Kate, Journey Mexico marketing team.

Why we’re excited for our clients 

At Journey Mexico, being on the ground here right now is a reminder of what we can offer: the chance to be inside a moment like this rather than watching it from afar. The excitement, the nerves, the anticipation.

So whether you’re entering a sweepstake, agonizing over your fantasy league, or digging that jersey out from the back of the wardrobe, Mexico City is ready.