The 2026 World Cup and the women’s league in Mexico are at risk due to salary equity

The approval that the Senate of Mexico voted this Wednesday on the ruling on wage equity in the Federal Labor Law puts the women's soccer league at risk of disappearing and the country losing the venue for the 2026 men's World Cup. said Mariana Gutiérrez, director of the women's MX league.

Financial Risks and Loss of the 2026 World Cup Venue

This ruling, which still must pass through the plenary session of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, aims to guarantee the labor rights of athletes and achieve salary equity in all professional sports.

"We view the proposed route with concern because it has serious risks, both for the current financial viability of the women's MX League, which would see its continuity compromised, and for the eventual loss of the 2026 World Cup and the proposal for the 2027 Women's World Cup could mean," reads the letter that the board sent to the Senate.

This letter was sent with the intention of preventing the opinion from being voted on this Wednesday, something that did not happen.

Gutiérrez considered that its approval risks the disappearance of the competition and that as a consequence FIFA will take away Mexico's hosting of the 2026 men's World Cup, which the United States and Canada will organize together, and remove them from the search to host the 2026 World Cup. the 2027 Women's World Cup.

In the House, Senator Rafael Espino announced the approval of the initiative.

"The opinion of the United Labor and Social Welfare Commissions for gender equality is declared unanimously approved, consequently the present opinion. It will be sent to the board of directors for its corresponding legislative process," said Espino, a member of the ruling Morena party.

180-Day Period to Establish Base Salary

Senator Patricia Mercado, of the Citizen Movement, explained that a group of institutions headed by the National Minimum Wage Commission and its experts will be given 180 days to establish a base salary for athletes.

"We are not simply proposing an equal salary. We are going to allow the pertinent studies to be carried out to establish that base salary through this committee of experts. It is not that we can put an end to the leagues, but we need to move forward in achieving this equal pay," Mercado stated.

Mariana Gutiérrez pointed out in the letter that the women's league agrees with reducing the distances in the wage gap, although she also highlighted the financial consequences that this approval will bring.

Broad Scope of the Approved Opinion

"As a consequence, the equal salary initiative, according to current figures, would have an annual cost of 273 million pesos (almost 16 million dollars), which would represent an increase of 43 percent compared to the cost of the 2023 Clausura tournament. which was 191 million pesos (11 million dollars)", the league stated in the letter.

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