MEXICO CITY, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Mexico broke a Guinness World Record on Sunday by holding the world's largest football class, just months before the country hosts the FIFA World Cup for a record third time.
Guinness World Records judge Alfredo Arista confirmed the record set in Mexico City after 9,500 people participated in a 35-minute football lesson in the capital's main square, the Zocalo, smashing the previous record of 1,038 participants.
Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada and Mexico's Secretary of Tourism Josefina Rodriguez led the class, accompanied by former football players Oscar "Conejo" Perez, Miguel Espana, and Francisco "Kikin" Fonseca, among others.
The thousands of participants in the event came dressed in green, white, or red jerseys - the colors of the national flag - bearing the slogan "The ball is coming home," a reference to the two prior times Mexico has hosted the World Cup, in 1970 and 1986.
The Zocalo was transformed into a giant football pitch, with artificial turf carpeting the concrete plaza around the flagpole and the monumental national flag, surrounded by the historic buildings that line the square, including the National Palace and City Hall.
Soccer balls bounced around as participants practiced football moves and techniques such as the drop kick, shoulder feint, backheel and cushioning.
Ilse Aviles, a midfielder for the amateur Chilangas football team, welcomed the event and government policies promoting the inclusion of women.
"The classes were very good, very organized, but today there really was so much energy, so much excitement among everyone," she said.
Mexico is set to cohost the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June and July of this year, along with the United States and Canada, becoming the first country in the world to host three World Cup tournaments. Enditem
京公网安备 11010802027341号