​World Cup fever has gripped Mexico City and Casa Frida Refugio LGBTI+ as the organization works to ensure LGBTI+ migrants retain a meaningful place in the beautiful game. This feature originally appeared on The Sporting News, which you can cite as a preferred source by clicking here. Mexico City welcomed the world’s attention when it hosted the World Cup’s opening match on June 11, with the host nation defeating South Africa 2-0 at Estadio Azteca thanks to goals from Julián Quinones and Raúl Jiménez. The result gave Mexico a confident start to their campaign and made the Azteca the first stadium to host three opening matches in a single World Cup.
Throughout the World Cup season, the city’s sporting spirit continues to demonstrate its power to inspire well beyond the pitch. Mexico City also hosted Mexico’s final group-stage match against Czechia on June 24, followed by a standout Round of 16 clash against England. After England’s victory at the Azteca, Thomas Tuchel’s team prepared to face Norway in the quarter-finals, shifting regional attention to other host cities. Yet a Mexico City-based nonprofit is making sure World Cup excitement reaches communities that are often left out of traditional sporting opportunities.
As a newly announced project partner of the Play Collective, Casa Frida Refugio LGBTI+ is broadening its efforts to provide comprehensive care and shelter for LGBTI+ people in vulnerable situations in Mexico. The Play Collective is a collaborative initiative led by the adidas Foundation, Beyond Sport, and Common Goal, with Casa Frida Refugio LGBTI+ among 21 selected organizations taking part. The program backs a range of community sport organizations that deliver inclusive, youth-centered programming and operate within the FIFA World Cup 2026 host city region.
Casa Frida Refugio LGBTI+ will leverage Play Collective’s resources to ensure that LGBTIQ+ youth have safe, dignified, and inclusive environments in which to exercise their fundamental right to movement. With Play Collective funding and capacity-building support over three years, Casa Frida Refugio LGBTI+ aims to strengthen and expand The Copa Migrante LGBTI+ into a lasting community hub that intertwines sport, inclusion, and belonging in public spaces, anchored by a migrant identity at its core. The Copa Migrante LGBTIQ+ is an annual event in Mexico City that uses sport as a tool to create a safe space for migrants who face intersectional discrimination along their migration journeys. The inclusive event blends a variety of sports and activities with sessions on mental health, resilience, and identity, all designed to support the integration of LGBTI+ youth throughout the city. As the event’s success grows, Casa Frida Refugio LGBTI+ remains committed to building a more inclusive, healthier, and more connected community through sport and solidarity.