Social World Cup / Mundial Social - 5 minutes of Spanish (English version) + Podcast

 

Hi! How are you?

Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, depending on where you are or what time you’re listening.

Welcome to podcast 270. Thanks for being here.

So… what are we going to talk about today?

Listen to the Podcast

Today we’re going to talk about a topic that brings together countries, emotions, languages, and generations…

Don’t tell me we’re going to talk about soccer again. That was last week’s topic, and the World Cup is pretty commercial…

Yes, we’re going to talk about the World Cup, but about something unique to Mexico and proposed by Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo: the 2026 Social World Cup.

What is the Social World Cup?

It’s a government strategy to extend the celebration of the FIFA World Cup beyond the stadiums, bringing sports, cultural, and health activities to the entire country while sharing Mexico’s cultural richness with visitors.

Beyond the stadiums

That’s great. So, it’s not just about building beautiful stadiums, but about millions of people experiencing the World Cup in different ways.

Yes. In addition to the renovations at the stadiums in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, there are tons of activities: 74 “mundialitos,” which are small sports tournaments among students, children, and people with disabilities.

It’s excellent for promoting sports among young people….

And one very special one: soccer without running for people over 50.

Walking soccer?

Yes, to promote physical activity and health among adults, since we tend to love our couches. It was organized by the IMSS, the Mexican Social Security Institute. There were more than 600 matches; it ended in March, and now new tournaments are starting among students, as well as street soccer.

And cultural activities?

Of course. There are guided and night tours of museums in Mexico City and other cities, visits to archaeological sites, 30 soccer festivals, and more than 250 tourist routes: sun and beach, gastronomic, ecotourism, and cultural.

There are also festivals in 177 Pueblos Mágicos and three FIFA Fan Fests in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.

And an activity that you, Eduardo, won’t just find interesting…

I’m not going to like it…

No, you’re going to love it…! From June 11 to July 19, “Mexico de mis sabores” takes place, where chefs from all 32 states of the Republic present traditional recipes at the Los Pinos Cultural Center, the former presidential residence.

Wow, that sounds delicious! Plus, there’s an app to check out all the activities beyond soccer.

Exactly. Mexico is going to welcome tons of visitors, not just for the games.

Although tickets are super expensive…

Yeah, but there will also be giant screens in lots of places and a really fun atmosphere.

Mexico lives and breathes soccer with great passion and is also aiming to break Guinness World Records.

Yes. In March, 9,500 people participated in the world’s largest soccer class in Mexico City. And this Sunday, they hope to set another record with the event “The World’s Largest Wave.”  

      

Ah, the Mexican wave—that’s when people in the stadium stand up from their seats in a wave-like motion and shout “Whoa!” In this case, thousands of people will gather on Sunday, May 7, on Paseo de la Reforma to celebrate the arrival of the World Cup and participate in sports activities.

“La pelota vuelve a casa” — The ball comes back home. Good slogan, because Mexico already hosted the World Cup in 1970 and during the unforgettable 1986 World Cup.

What was the most exciting part of this Social World Cup for you, Malena?

I really liked seeing the four girls selected to attend the first matches representing Mexico.

Oh, right, because the president donated her ticket, as we mentioned in the previous podcast. How was the raffle?

Months ago, they asked people to send in videos. They selected the finalists, and the final raffle took place during “la mañanera.” The girls spoke and showed off their skills. It was very moving.

“La mañanera” is the president’s morning press conference. Also, the murals are really beautiful, aren’t they?

Yes. There are 4,200 renovated soccer fields across the country and more than 10,000 murals painted on stadium and field walls, including seven in La Paz, right here nearby.

And you, do you like soccer? Are you going to watch the games? Which team do you root for?

If you want to learn Spanish and discover Mexican culture, contact us.

Thank you very much for listening. We’ve included the English-Spanish vocabulary below in the text.

See you soon

Bye, bye

Vocabulario básico español – inglés

• Mundial — World Cup
• estadio — stadium
• fútbol callejero — street soccer
• caminar — to walk
• salud — health
• actividad física — physical activity
• visita guiada — guided tour
• zona arqueológica — archaeological site
• mural — mural
• cancha — sports field / court
• rifa — raffle
• entradas — tickets
• pantalla gigante — giant screen
• romper un récord — to break a record
• sede — host country / venue
• visitante — visitor
• sabores — flavors
• riqueza cultural — cultural richness
• apoyar — to support
• disfrutar — to enjoy