Mexico’s national football team has decided to return luxury timepieces gifted by content creator Stevewilldoit due to FIFA regulations.
The American YouTuber, whose real name is Stephen Deleonardis, reportedly invested approximately $1 million in Rolex watches for all Mexico players and staff members.
The World Cup co-hosts are set to compete against England at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on Sunday evening local time (01:00 BST, Monday).
Deleonardis presented the watches to the team during a meeting on Monday, the day before Mexico’s 3-2 victory over Ecuador in the last 32.
However, FIFA’s Code of Ethics, specifically article 21, prohibits the acceptance of gifts beyond symbolic or trivial value, requiring adherence to strict ethical standards.
According to a post on the team’s X account external, the Mexican team stated the watches were returned “by mutual agreement,” with Stevewilldoit emphasizing the gift was given “on his own initiative.”
Mexico aims to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since hosting the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
