Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has given her ticket for the opening match of the World Cup in Mexico City on June 11 to a football-loving indigenous woman.
The 21-year-old received coveted ticket Number 00001 for row 1, seat 1.
Sheinbaum had previously announced that she would not be attending the World Cup kick-off at the Azteca Stadium in person, but would instead watch the opening ceremony and the match between Mexico and South Africa at a public viewing event on the Zócalo square.
Yolett Cervantes Cuaquehua, an indigenous woman from the eastern state of Veracruz, was the winner of a competition with more than a thousand entrants.
Young women were asked to demonstrate their talent with the ball in a video. Barefoot and dressed in traditional clothing, the winner also showcased her skills at the mayor’s press conference after receiving her prize.
“It’s very exciting to watch the videos of all these young girls,” said Sheinbaum. The winner would represent not only her but the whole of Mexico at the opening ceremony, she said.
A total of four tickets were given away. Two of them were for the opening match, the others for matches in the two other Mexican host cities, Monterrey and Guadalajara.