Trump invited Sheinbaum to 2026 World Cup closing ceremony: “Claudia, are you going to come?”

Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that Donald Trump personally invited her to the closing ceremony of the 2026 World Cup. The Mexican president also revealed that the meeting served to briefly address the review of the USMCA. The call occurred before the final in New York, where Spain defeated Argentina.

The invitation changed Sheinbaum’s initial decision, who had planned not to attend. The president explained that she had first only received a call from FIFA. Then she spoke by phone with Trump and accepted to travel to the United States. The gesture reinforced the political dimension of a sporting event already laden with symbolism.

What did Trump say to Sheinbaum?

Sheinbaum recounted that Trump was direct during the phone conversation. According to her account, the president asked her: “Claudia, are you going to come?” Afterward, he invited her to sit next to him during the World Cup closing ceremony. The president responded that, if it was a personal invitation, she would attend.

The president explained that she had already purchased a commercial flight from Cancún. However, electrical storms in New York forced her to cancel that route. Facing a lack of alternatives, she traveled on an aircraft from the National Defense Ministry. That detail revealed the improvisation with which her transfer was ultimately resolved.

Sheinbaum’s attendance carried diplomatic weight. She not only attended the final. She also coincided with other key leaders from the continent. Among them were Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The image of the three host countries together sent a message of regional coordination.

What did they discuss at the stadium?

Already at the stadium, Sheinbaum said she briefly spoke with Trump. She also conversed with Carney and with several U.S. officials. Among them were Secretary of State Marco Rubio and representatives from the trade area. The tone, as she described it, was cordial and practical.

The president stated that the trade issue appeared in several short conversations. That is, the World Cup also served as an informal space to address high-level matters. This occurred just as the second round of conversations about the USMCA review was beginning. That treaty is the foundation of trade between Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

Sheinbaum indicated that she expects to close some agreements this week. Additionally, she said she will receive U.S. Ambassador Jamieson Greer in Mexico City. The sequence confirms that the sports setting functioned as a political bridge. It did not resolve the negotiation, but it did help open doors.

Why does this meeting matter for Mexico?

Mexico had already played a central role in the 2026 World Cup. The country hosted 13 matches and became the first country to organize 3 World Cups. It had previously done so in 1970 and 1986. That historic status explains part of Sheinbaum’s interest in the closing ceremony and in the message of unity among the three partners.