The FIFA World Cup delivered the week’s most jubilant moments, as Mexico’s national team closed out the group stage with a perfect record, beating Czechia 3-0 on Wednesday night in a match that sent El Tri into the knockout round undefeated. The goals and the stadium roar were matched by diplomatic warmth off the pitch: Spain’s King Felipe VI arrived at the National Palace on Thursday evening for his first meeting with a Mexican president since the inauguration of former President López Obrador eight years ago, a visit framed by both governments as a turning point after years of friction rooted in Mexico’s 2019 demand that the Spanish Crown apologize for Spain’s 16th century conquest of the Aztec Empire.
While soccer dominated the national mood, the week also brought more sobering news. The newspaper Reforma published excerpts from a forthcoming memoir by former U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar, in which he wrote that AMLO was “very concerned” about what Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada might tell U.S. authorities after his 2024 arrest — allegations President Claudia Sheinbaum disputed at her Monday morning press conference. Also this week, a devastating earthquake struck Venezuela, prompting Mexico to mobilize search-and-rescue teams, and the economy posted a string of indicators that pointed to firmer ground than Mexico stood on just two months ago.
Sheinbaum herself was the subject of international attention beyond the soccer pitch. The Guardian profiled her this week as “the world’s most popular leftwing leader,” citing an approval rating above 70%. On the environmental front, years of severe drought have largely receded. On the security front, federal authorities recorded what officials described as the second-largest drug seizure in Mexican history. And a teachers’ union that had camped out in the capital for weeks packed up its tents — though the circumstances of its departure remained contested.
Didn’t have time to catch this week’s top stories? Here’s what you missed.
Mexico beats Czechia, advances with a perfect group stage
Mexico defeated Czechia 3-0 on Wednesday in Guadalajara to close the group stage with three wins and no goals conceded. The night included a farewell tribute to retiring goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and sent El Tri into the round of 32. President Sheinbaum — who has used her morning press conferences to celebrate each team victory — told reporters on Thursday that Mexico has the best World Cup atmosphere of any host nation.
Spain-Mexico relations: A royal visit closes a chapter
King Felipe VI’s Thursday night meeting with Sheinbaum at the National Palace was the first such encounter between a Spanish monarch and a Mexican president since 2018. The rift stemmed from AMLO’s 2019 demand that Spain apologize for the conquest — a request the Crown rejected. Sheinbaum said the meeting was made possible by Felipe’s prior gesture of acknowledging abuses committed during the conquest. At the meeting, Sheinbaum emphasized that 28 million Mexicans still identify as Indigenous and that 69 languages are spoken in Mexico; the king responded by proposing a working group on Indigenous peoples at the Ibero-American Summit in November, while Mexico agreed to promote three cultural exhibitions in Spain. Spain’s Foreign Ministry called it “an extraordinary moment in our relations.”
El Rey es recibido por la presidenta de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, Claudia Sheinbaum, a su llegada en el Palacio Nacional de México.
— Casa de S.M. el Rey (@CasaReal) June 26, 2026
The Salazar memoir: AMLO, ‘El Mayo’ and competing accounts
Excerpts published by Reforma from former U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar’s forthcoming book, Borderlands, claimed that AMLO was “very concerned” about what Zambada might tell U.S. prosecutors after his 2024 arrest — information Salazar says he received from an anonymous Mexican businessman he calls “the Whisperer.” Sheinbaum rejected that framing, saying AMLO’s concern was about possible U.S. involvement in Zambada’s capture, which would have constituted a violation of Mexican sovereignty. Salazar separately told the Los Angeles Times that he never saw any proof of ties between AMLO and criminal organizations. Whether Zambada has actually provided information to U.S. prosecutors remains publicly unknown, according to the L.A. Times. The memoir is due out next month from BenBella Books.
Economy: April data brings the clearest positive signal of 2026
Mexico’s economy grew 2.2% annually in April, recovering sharply from just 0.5% growth in March, with construction output jumping 10.2%. On the trade side, exports surged 25.4% annually in May, pushing Mexico’s 2026 trade surplus to US $5.77 billion. Banxico held its benchmark interest rate at 6.50% this week, with the annual inflation rate standing at 3.55% as of mid-June — inside the central bank’s target range.
MND Economy Index: Nine of ten pillars improve in April
The April data drove the biggest single-month gain in MND’s Economy Index since the index launched, rising 4.16 points to 67.55 out of 100. Nine of the index’s ten pillars improved month-over-month; the sole laggard was productivity, which fell to 3.2 from 4.8 as INEGI’s quarterly productivity measure grew only 0.1% annually in Q1 2026.
The MND Economy Index™ for April 2026
Energy Ministry sets 70% target for renewables
Energy Minister Luz Elena González appeared at Wednesday’s mañanera to unveil a plan under which 70% of all new electricity generation capacity would come from renewable sources. The announcement signals a notable strategic direction for the Sheinbaum administration, which has publicly committed to expanding clean energy while also grappling with the legacy infrastructure of the state-owned CFE. The government is also looking into developing nonrenewable energy sources: Sheinbaum said at Monday’s mañanera that a government-appointed scientific panel will soon issue recommendations on whether “sustainable fracking” is feasible in Mexico — a potential major policy break from López Obrador, who paused fracking during his administration.
Separately, Pemex signed a memorandum of understanding with Brazil’s Petrobras to jointly pursue oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, a partnership both companies say could help reverse declining output.
A $512 million meth seizure and a teachers’ camp disbanded
Federal authorities announced the seizure of 24,400 liters of liquid methamphetamine in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, valued at more than US $512.3 million — described by officials as the second-largest drug bust in Mexican history. Meanwhile, the CNTE teachers’ union cleared its encampment from Mexico City after weeks of occupation near the Zócalo. The union had been demanding salary increases and changes to the education system. Terms of any government agreement with the union were not publicly confirmed.
Mexico mobilizes aid after Venezuela earthquake
A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck Venezuela on Thursday, killing hundreds and affecting thousands more. By Friday’s mañanera, Sheinbaum confirmed that Mexico had deployed approximately 250 military personnel with specialized search-and-rescue equipment to assist in relief operations — part of what she described as Mexico’s humanitarian commitment to the region.
Cell phone registration deadline extended
The government extended its cell phone registration deadline after millions of devices remained unregistered ahead of the original June 30 cutoff, replacing it with 10 new staggered deadlines running through December. The registration program requires users to link their SIM cards to official identification in a government database — an anti-crime measure aimed at reducing the use of anonymous phones for extortion and kidnapping. Critics have raised concerns about data privacy, while authorities have warned that unregistered phones could be blocked from service once the new deadlines pass.
Looking ahead
Mexico enters the World Cup knockout stage as one of its undefeated hosts, and the government has already renewed its work-from-home mandate for Mexico City public workers ahead of El Tri’s next knockout-round match. World Cup-related spending — including by international tourists — could lift June and possibly July growth figures. On the diplomatic calendar, the relationship with Spain now has concrete follow-up commitments, including cultural exhibitions and an Indigenous-peoples working group at November’s Ibero-American Summit. The Salazar memoir officially publishes next month, and its reception in Washington and Mexico City will likely reopen scrutiny of the AMLO years and the current state of bilateral security cooperation.
This week in good news
Mexico News Daily
This story contains summaries of original Mexico News Daily articles. The summaries were generated by Claude, then revised and fact-checked by a Mexico News Daily staff editor.
