Mexico

Mexico becomes the first country to host three men's World Cups (1970, 1986, 2026), and Estadio Azteca the first stadium to stage three World Cup tournaments.

Guillermo Ochoa, 40, joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the only players in history to appear in six different World Cups.

Gilberto Mora, born October 2008, is the youngest player at the 2026 World Cup — he was still a primary-school student when Mexico qualified.

Julián Quiñones, born in Colombia and naturalised Mexican, finished the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League season as its top scorer with 33 goals.

Mexico's 'Quinto Partido' (fifth game) curse: El Tri have reached the round of 16 at every World Cup from 1994-2018 but never advanced beyond it in that stretch, always falling to the fifth match barrier.

Mexican goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal was the first man ever to play at five World Cups (1950-1966) — a feat so rare that nobody matched it until Lothar Matthäus in 1998.

The Estadio Azteca is the only stadium to have hosted two World Cup finals — and the same pitch staged the 'Game of the Century' (Italy 4-3 West Germany, 1970) plus Maradona's 'Hand of God' and 'Goal of the Century' in a single 1986 afternoon.