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 started 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 was between Mexico and Czechia, back in the Azteca Stadium, on June 24 at 9 pm EDT. For this match, I chose pickled sausages, marinated in a brine of vinegar, with herbs and spices, usually bay leaves, mustard seed, peppercorns, and salt and sugar for Czechia (called Utopenci – “drowning men”) and the Mexican counterpart, Salchichas Coctel Picositas con Limón – Spicy Cocktail Sausages with Lime, which are small sausages marinated in lime juice, along with chopped green onions and serrano peppers. Team Mexico continued their winning streak with a final score of 3-0.
These standings have placed Mexico in first place of Group A for the 32 Knockout Round. Being a hosting country means less travel and a bigger entourage on site, so El Tri has a brief pause and will play again in Mexico City, this time against Ecuador, on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 starting at 9 pm EDT.
Ecuador and Mexico have many common elements in culture and cuisines, since they are both Latin American countries and both have a vibrant population of indigenous origin, descendants of Spanish conquerors and settlers, and mestizos (mixed background). Ecuador’s National dish is Encebollado, a fish soup with tomatoes, onions, coriander, root vegetables, and spices such as cumin and chiles. Fish and seafood soups with clear broth are also abundant in Mexico, as are the other ingredients listed for the Ecuadorean dish. An everyday preparation from Ecuador that got my attention was Llapingachos, potato patties seasoned with annato (achiote). In the photo below, a street food tray with a llapingacho patty, along with mote (hominy), broad beans, morcilla (blood sausage) and sauce:
In Mexico, potato patties are called tortitas de papa, often con queso (cheesy), which can be prepared in no time, making them a nutritious choice frequently included on weekday menus:
For a full story and detailed recipe, visit my post: Cheesy Potato Patties – A Reliable Weekday Favourite
FUN FACT: Chocolate is a well-known gift from Mesoamerica (Mexico and Central America) to the world, but the cacao plant (Theobroma cacao) from which cocoa beans come, was first domesticated in the South American rain forest, including regions of modern Peru and Ecuador, more than 5000 years ago; the fruit pulp, rather than the beans, was eaten as a snack, or prepared into a fermented beverage.
O CANADA
Worthy of mention is the performance of Team Canada. The team qualified for the 32 knockout round, and played in Los Angeles against Republic of South Africa on Monday June 29, ending in a historic victory of 1-0. Canadians may continue celebrations into Canada Day on July 1st, while looking forward to the next round on July 4, at 1 pm EDT, playing against the winner between The Netherlands and Morocco.
HAPPY CANADA DAY!
A complete schedule of football matches may be found at the official FIFA World Cup 2026 website.
My Slice of Mexico 
The food sounds delicious, and the idea of the 3 countries is brilliant.
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Your potato patties are just like the fish cakes I make. I just use any left over fish and sometimes add some chives, served with a salad. A quick and tasty comfort meal.
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Sounds yummy! In Mexico, people make those with canned tuna and called them “croquetas” (croquettes)
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