By Felix Jesus Mendoza
He debut of the Mexican team in the 2026 World Cup concluded with a favorable result and special recognition on the field of play.
At the end of the opening match, the boxer Saul Canelo Alvarez was in charge of giving the award to the most valuable player of the contest to the striker Julian Quiñoneswho scored the first goal in the two-nil victory against South Africa.
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The award ceremony on the field
The protocol ceremony after the closing whistle at the Mexico City Stadium He brought together the athlete from Guadalajara with the attacker of the national team to present the trophy.
During the brief meeting on the lawn of the building, Canelo Alvarez expressed his support for the footballer for the performance shown during the 78 minutes he played in the axis of the attack.
“All the success in the world, may everything continue well,” were the words that the boxer addressed to the scorer while they shook hands, as captured by the cameras of the television network broadcast TUDN in their coverage of the opening day.
The expressions of congratulations extended to the halls of the venue, where the boxer continued interacting with other members of the native squad.
Chat with Armando González and coexistence in boxes
During his journey through the internal areas of the stadium, the boxer struck up a conversation with the striker Armando “The Ant” Gonzálezwho came on as a substitute in the second half. In this exchange, Canelo Alvarez revealed the admiration that his family feels for the young athlete and the bond that they have with the Guadalajara Sports Club.
“My son is a fan of yours,” the boxer commented to the forward of the red and white team in a conversation captured by the sports portal Halftimereceiving in response from the footballer the promise of giving him his game shirt after his debut. “Yes, it suits Chivas,” he later detailed to explain the origin of his first-born son’s fanaticism for the player.
Canelo left Ronaldo with his mouth open. ?
The Mexican champion met with Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo and they all showed off their watches. ?? pic.twitter.com/8uwyVJpMbK
— ESPN.com.mx (@ESPNmx) June 11, 2026
Before going down to the playing field, Canelo Alvarez He shared the honor box of the building with former international players of the Brazil national team, highlighting the presence of Ronaldo Nazário and Roberto Carlos. During the gathering, the broadcast cameras captured a moment where the athletes exchanged impressions about their jewelry collections, generating amazement at the high-end piece that the Mexican was wearing.
Keep reading:
- Canelo present at the opening of the 2026 World Cup and offered his reinforcement to Tri
- Canelo Álvarez made a juicy bet on Mexico’s preference for the start of the 2026 World Cup
- Will there be a fight between Eddie Hearn and Dana White? Tyson Fury offers his help
