The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2026 is taking place from June 11 to July 19, co-hosted by the North American trio of Canada, The USA, and Mexico. There are sixteen cities involved: two in Canada, eleven in the United States, and three in Mexico. This is the first time that a FIFA World Cup is hosted by three countries, also with an expansion from 32 to 48 teams.
During this World Cup, while following Mexico’s matches, I have decided to find a traditional dish from the opposing country that seems similar to a Mexican dish, as a way to point out that we are all just people, and this is a small world after all.
Mexico is in Group A with South Africa, Korea Republic and Czechia, and its first match took place in Mexico City (CDMX), on June 11, against South Africa; for that match, I chose fried breads from each country. The final score for that game was Mexico 2 – South Africa 0, a win for Mexico on the field, but both nations standing equal in terms of their street food and fried breads. On June 18, Mexico’s second match against Korea Republic in the city of Guadalajara resulted in a final score of Mexico 1 – Korea Republic 0; I chose pork belly wraps, made with lettuce and other fresh greens in Korean ssam, while in Mexico, corn tortillas are used to prepare tacos.
The third and final game of the first stage will see Mexico playing Czechia, back in the Azteca Stadium, which renders a monumental skyline in Mexico City (CDMX); the match is set for June 24 at 9 pm EDT. Although Mexico has secured a spot in the next stage, the team should still be highly motivated to continue their trail of winning games.
I had never looked into Czech cuisine before, but was not surprised to find classic Eastern European dishes during my search; some examples are: Vepřo Knedlo Zelo – roasted pork with dumplings and cabbage, considered the national dish; Hovězí Guláš – Beef Goulash; and Bramboráky – Potato Pancakes. Some common characteristics with Mexican cuisine would be the abundance of soups, such as Česnečka – Garlic Soup, which could be compared to Mexican sopa de ajo, as well as the love for pickled vegetables and … sausages!
Utopenci – “drowning men” are pickled sausages, classic pub fare or to eat at home (maybe while watching a football match?) consisting of fat sausages opened lengthwise in the middle, stuffed with onions and peppers then marinated in a brine of vinegar, with herbs and spices, usually bay leaves, mustard seed, peppercorns, and salt and sugar.
After a couple of weeks in the jar, the sausages are served with the pickling veggies:
The Mexican counterpart, Salchichas Coctel Picositas con Limón – Spicy Cocktail Sausages with Lime, usually calls for small sausages that are marinated in lime juice, along with chopped green onions and serrano peppers:
They are kept in the fridge for a couple of days, then enjoyed, as seen at the top of this post, and below:
For a full story and detailed recipe, visit my post: Football Sunday – Snack Time!
A complete schedule of football matches may be found at the official FIFA World Cup 2026 website.
My Slice of Mexico 
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Perfect
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