Mexican President spotlights local record for giant jersey ahead of 2026 World Cup
Over four thousand enthusiastic soccer fans in Mexico showed that they were ready to welcome visitors to the country for the upcoming 2026 World Cup, literally with open arms, after assembling the largest human image of a shirt last month.
Draped in the green, white, and red colours of the Mexican flag, an incredible total of 4,757 participants took to the field of Víctor Manuel Reyna Stadium in Tuxtla Gutiérez on 27 February to create a gigantic human mosaic of the tri-coloured Mexican soccer jersey.
The event was held by the Mexican Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) and the Government of Chiapas to kick-off (pun intended) Mexico’s campaign around hosting the World Cup, and was even broadcast live during a speech delivered by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for her national address.
“Beyond the quantitative achievement, the true value lies in the symbolic meaning of the act: thousands of hearts beating in unison to represent a single jersey, a single country, a single message of welcome,” said the event organizers.
“It represents, in essence, a collective manifestation of identity and pride. The colours green, white, and red not only evoke our flag, but also synthesize our history, cultural diversity, and resilient spirit,” they continued.
“By bringing together four thousand people in a single coordinated act, a clear message of unity and collaboration will be sent – fundamental values that distinguish Mexican society and that we wish to project globally.”
Ahead of the event, the tourism industry in Mexico put out a call to all interested soccer fans who wished to take part in this amazing attempt. Thousands responded to the request, and filtered into the stadium on a Friday dressed in their red, white, and green T-shirts.
As volunteers organized attendees into their sections, Guinness World Records Adjudicator Alfredo Arista remarked that he was touched to see people dancing as they walked to their places, all while singing and waving their balloons.
“It reaffirms my commitment to this beautiful work,” he said, adding that even though the weather was not favourable for the participants, their attitude and energy never waned, and the stadium felt like a party.
Read more stories about giant fan gatherings in our dedicated Sports and Fitness section!
After everyone was sorted into their colourful groups, a human chain was formed to lead the masses into their assigned spots – and soon enough, the emerald, ruby, and opal shades of the Mexican flag turned into the living shape of the nation’s soccer jersey.
The green and red sleeves reached out to the goal posts on their side of the stadium, and the crowd grew excited as volunteers began to snap pictures of the shirt from above, revealing the magnificent project born from enthusiasm, strategic vision, and deep pride in national identity.
Once all the photos were taken, the stadium turned festive, as presenters took to the stage and informed everyone that they had successfully accomplished the Guinness World Records title.
“There is no better tourism promotion than telling the world that we are Officially Amazing,” said the event organizers.
And with the rest of the day, the attendees had the chance to snap photos of themselves on the field, as well as hang out with Mexican sport mascots and the rest of the region’s soccer fans.
So if you thought Chiapas was excited for a new world record – just wait until the 2026 World Cup, where we expect to see even more of this passion and enthusiasm throughout the entire country!
And congratulations to everyone that took part in this incredible record attempt – you are all Officially Amazing!