Mexico breaks Guinness World Record for largest football league ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup

Thousands of Mexicans gathered in the heart of their capital on Sunday to kick, pass and celebrate their way into the record books, turning one of the world’s most iconic public squares into the largest football league on record.

At Mexico City’s Zocalo – a vast stone square that has witnessed revolutions, earthquakes and papal visits – 9,500 people gathered to take part in a roughly 40-minute mass training session that smashed the previous Guinness World Record, set in Seattle with 1,038 participants.

“We registered 9,500 people today, so I’m lucky to tell you that from now on you’re ‘officially awesome’, congratulations,” said Guinness World Records judge Alfredo Arista at the end of the class.

“Today we broke this amazing Guinness World Record; more than 9,000 people came together and showed that we are capable of achieving the extraordinary and the impossible,” said Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada after receiving the award adt5yed.

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“With this record, the city sends a message to the world: ‘Sport, football, is the universal language, a language of peace that needs no translation.’ Congratulations, Mexico City, today we kick off the World Cup,” she added.

The event is part of a wider campaign called the ‘Social World Cup’.

In the crowd were families in green, white and red jerseys; children holding black and gold footballs; and elderly neighbors stretched out next to professional coaches as instructors led drills under a clear morning sky, with the sound of cathedral bells in the background.

Those on stage included members of the Mexican women’s team that won the 1971 Women’s World Cup, an unofficial tournament in Mexico City that drew some of the largest crowds in the history of women’s soccer, as well as former male players such as goalkeeper Oscar “El Conejo” Perez.

A plate with a shadow

However, the celebration had an undertone of national tension.

“I’m excited about the World Cup, but there are a lot of political issues in the country right now,” said participant Paulina Rosas. Reutersa reflection of the concerns of many Mexicans amid the recent cartel violence.

Last month, the Mexican army killed Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, also known as ‘El Mencho’, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). This led to reprisals in several states, bringing Guadalajara – one of three Mexican cities hosting the World Cup – to a virtual standstill.

There has been uncertainty for weeks, with President Claudia Sheinbaum even emphasizing that there will be security guarantees.

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Despite this, people are still hopeful about Mexico’s third time hosting the World Cup. The tournament, which is organized jointly with the United States and Canada, starts on June 11 with an opening match at the Estadio Azteca.

“If we keep this spirit, I am sure we will enjoy it,” Rosas added.

That spirit was clearly visible outside the main square, where the festive atmosphere continued. People played ‘cascarita’, an informal form of football along the perimeter, while many danced to the rhythms of a ‘batucada’ percussion band.

«The lesson was quite simple, and a lot of people here don’t even know how to play football, but that wasn’t the point; it’s about the people, the community,» said 67-year-old Pedro Garcia.

For many of those standing shoulder to shoulder in the Zocalo on Sunday morning, it felt like a warm-up for what’s to come in June.

Published on March 16, 2026