World Cup
Mexico City chases world record for largest Mexican wave ahead of World Cup
Thousands of people flooded one of the world’s great urban boulevards on Saturday, attempting to set a world record for the Mexican wave — naturally, in the country that gave the beloved stadium ritual its name.
The event commemorates the 40th anniversary of the wave’s debut during the 1986 World Cup held in Mexico, though its true origins are disputed, with American crowds also claiming early versions of it.
Mexico is now preparing to host the tournament, with kick-off on June 11, for a third time; it will become the first country to host or co-host the men’s World Cup three times, following 1970 and 1986.
On Saturday morning, Mexicans and tourists had lined up on the Paseo de la Reforma, the artery that runs through the heart of the capital.
Hundreds wore the bright green jersey of the Mexican national team, waving flags and chanting “Mexico, Mexico!” as they threw up their arms in sequence, sending a rolling swell of motion through the crowd.
Guinness World Records already recognises several categories of Mexican waves.
The largest by participants involved 157,574 people in the United States in August 2008; the longest wave line consisted of 8,453 people in Portugal in 2007; and the longest timed wave was 17 minutes and 14 seconds, recorded in Japan in 2015.
A spokeswoman for the Mexico City government said the objective had been to set a world record for the largest Mexican wave outside a stadium.
“It’s not about breaking a record; it’s about setting one — this is something unprecedented,” she said. “That’s why Guinness took the evidence away to assess all the elements. There are many things they analyse.”
Teresa Lopez, who had travelled to join the event, said she came for both the record and the team. “We came to participate in the biggest wave in the world and to support our national team,” she said. “We are Mexican, and we are very proud of our country.”
Visitors from abroad were also swept up in the spirit. Tourist Vivia Shivers, who had come to the capital ahead of the tournament, said the occasion felt meaningful. “It’s a special location, it’s a contribution to a World Cup, and participating feels wonderful,” she said.
-Reuters
Nine people sustained non-life-threatening injuries in a shooting near England’s World Cup base camp in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, days before the tournament is due to kick off.
Kansas City police said there were no suspects in custody and that at least three of the shooting victims were transported to local hospitals.
The incident occurred roughly four miles from where England are set to train at Swope Soccer Village. England have not arrived in Kansas City and are due to play a friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the FA declined to comment.
Gun violence is common in the United States, where there were more than 400 mass shootings in 2025, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman plans to use Monday’s friendly against Uzbekistan in New York as an opportunity for his first-choice line-up to have a proper dress rehearsal ahead of their opening World Cup clash against Japan next weekend.
The rest of the Dutch squad will then play a second unofficial game against the Uzbeks straight afterwards, made up of two 35-minute halves, Koeman announced on Sunday.
“We want to use the first match to make as few changes as possible. We have to wait and see if that works,” he said at a press conference ahead of the clash at the Ichan Stadium.
“We are going to play the first match largely with our starting team. It is also good for guys who are not 100% fit, who can then play in the second match. That is why we are playing two matches.
“We have 26 players, and everyone gets minutes to play. That’s what you want.”
A decision still needs to be made regarding defender Jurrien Timber, who only joined the squad last Thursday after playing for Arsenal in the Champions League final on May 30.
It was Timber’s first outing since March after struggling with a groin injury, and there remains concern over his levels of fitness.
“If he trains and is fully fit, he always makes a good impression. That hasn’t been the case every day, so we have to make a decision,” Koeman told reporters.
“He participated in training, and we are going to sit down with the doctor and Jurrien at the end of Sunday afternoon to see whether he is going to start or not,” the coach added.
The Dutch open their Group F campaign against Japan in Dallas on Sunday. Uzbekistan take on Colombia on June 17 in Group K.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s final World Cup warm-up fixture against Chile will take place behind closed doors in the French city of Orleans on Tuesday, a team spokesperson has confirmed.
The fixture had originally been scheduled for Cadiz in Spain, but the city’s mayor cancelled it due to concerns over the Ebola virus outbreak, opens new tab in the central African country.
The squad are preparing for the global finals in the Spanish city of Marbella, having completed a 10-day training camp in Belgium, where they played to a 0-0 draw with Denmark on Wednesday.
United States officials told players and officials they needed to have been outside the DRC for 21 days and symptom-free before they would be allowed to enter the country to participate in the World Cup.
None of the 26-player squad plies their trade in the DRC, as most play for clubs in Europe, while a handful of officials have travelled from the country to be in camp. All individuals are compliant, according to team officials.
After Spain, the Congolese team will travel to their World Cup base in Houston on Thursday. They open their Group K campaign against Portugal six days later, before facing Colombia in Guadalajara on June 23 and Uzbekistan in Atlanta on June 27.
As of Saturday, the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the country had increased to 488, including 86 deaths.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Davido Returns to FIFA World Cup Stage as Headliner for Los Angeles Countdown Concert
Behold The 1,248 Players of 48 Countries Jostling for World Cup 2026 Glory
South Africa assistant coach Mkhalele cleared to travel to Mexico
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
NIGERIAN FOOTBALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SANUSI CHARGES NIGERIAN COACHES TO BE UPRIGHT, DILIGENT
- World Cup1 week ago
World Cup drives up sales of counterfeit jerseys in Argentina
- World Cup1 week ago
Egypt edge Russia in World Cup warm-up
- World Cup1 week ago
Iran beat Gambia as federation seeks FIFA clarity over visas
- World Cup7 days ago
Attack-minded Ivorians bullish ahead of World Cup return
- World Cup1 week ago
Bryan Adams, Wyclef Jean Headline Toronto FIFA World Cup 2026 Countdown Concert
- World Cup4 days ago
Rema, Davido, Burna Boy and Ayra Starr Make FIFA’s Star-Studded World Cup 2026 Official Album
- World Cup3 days ago
FIFA bans vuvuzelas from World Cup stadiums
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
Soname Rewards Flamingos with N4.5m Goal Bonus After Guinea Rout