[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, the entire Mexico national team received Rolex luxury watches worth a total of one million US dollars as a gift, but were forced to return them due to tournament regulations, wiping out the surprise in an instant. Reports stated that the lavish gift came from American social media influencer Stephen Deleonardis. He wagered two million US dollars on Mexico beating Ecuador in the previous match and won the payout. Afterwards, he travelled to Mexico City in person to present Rolex timepieces to head coach Javier Aguirre and every squad player. Footage from the scene showed the players were overwhelmingly delighted with the unexpected gifts. They even lifted the influencer into the air together, recreating their post-match victory celebration. However, their joy was short-lived. The Mexican Football Federation feared the generous gesture would violate the tournament’s gambling compliance rules, and ordered the team to return the watches immediately to avoid regulatory violations. The team later posted a statement on social media platform X confirming that all watches had been given back.
The editor believes that the Mexican Football Federation’s decision is grounded in FIFA’s competition compliance regulations. During the World Cup, all participating players and delegation staff are prohibited from accepting unauthorised external gifts, rewards or financial benefits. This rule is primarily designed to mitigate risks linked to gambling and prevent outside interests from compromising the integrity of matches. Even if the gift is offered with no malicious intent, it can still be deemed a violation, which may result in penalties such as fines or point deductions for the team.