Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum tosses football during press conference. What happens next surprises everyone

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum surprised reporters during her regular morning press conference on Wednesday (June 4) by tossing a football into the crowd at the end of the briefing. The playful gesture was part of a promotional activity linked to the 2026 World Cup, which is set to open in Mexico City on June 11. As the ball flew into the audience, two journalists rushed to catch it. During the scramble, one reporter lost her balance and fell to the floor. Sheinbaum immediately stepped forward to assist the journalist before handing her the football. The light-hearted incident drew laughter from those attending the event.

Watch the viral video here

The moment came after Sheinbaum fulfilled a previous promise by giving away her ticket to the World Cup opening match. Earlier, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum delivered a promise on Friday by giving away her ticket to the World Cup opening match. Sheinbaum, the first female president in the country's 200-year history, donated her ticket No. 00001 to Yolett Cervantes Cuaquehua, a 21-year-old Indigenous woman from the eastern state of Veracruz. Mexico plays the opening match against South Africa on June 11 at Azteca Stadium. A jury selected Cervantes Cuaquehua after winning a contest for her ball-handling skills. "They are the pride of Mexico. They will not represent the president, or the head of government; they will represent Mexico," Sheinbaum said at a news conference to give away the ticket to Cervantes Cuaquehua.

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Sheinbaum also gave away tickets to other matches being played in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, the Mexican venues for the World Cup, to three other amateur athletes aged 16, 22, and 23. They were selected by the jury as part of a government-organized contest. "Thank you so much for considering us," Cervantes Cuaquehua said.

In March, Sheinbaum ruled out attending the opening game herself, saying she wanted to give the spotlight to young Mexican female soccer players. "I think a young woman who plays soccer is a great representative of our country. Very few people will be able to attend the opening," Sheinbaum said at the time. She added that she plans to watch the match at the Zócalo, Mexico City's main square, where a Fan Fest will be held.

How to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in India

You can watch FIFA 2026 on Zee’s new Unite8 Sports network (Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD). Multiple group-stage matches taking place simultaneously will be aired across the four channels with English and Hindi feeds. All games will also be streamed live on the Zee5 app and website.

Link: https://www.zee5.com/