The World Cup's Most Valuable Legacy for Mexico

Mexico is preparing to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As expected, much of the conversation focuses on transportation systems, public works, tourism infrastructure, and the investments required to welcome millions of visitors. These discussions are important. Major events require major infrastructure, and the World Cup presents a unique opportunity to accelerate investments that might otherwise take years to materialize. However, it also reveals a blind spot in how we think about economic development and long-term competitiveness.

When we talk about infrastructure, we almost always mean physical infrastructure. Roads, airports, transit systems, stadiums and public works are visible, measurable and relatively easy to justify. Governments can calculate construction costs, investors can estimate returns and consultants can model economic impact. What receives far less attention is the infrastructure that ultimately determines whether these investments continue generating value once the event is over. Physical infrastructure moves people and goods. Social infrastructure helps communities and local economies function.

Social infrastructure includes markets, neighborhood businesses, public spaces, sports facilities and the everyday places where people build relationships, trust and a sense of belonging. These assets rarely appear in investment discussions with the same prominence as roads or airports, yet they play a critical role in making cities attractive, productive and competitive. Increasingly, cities are not only competing for investment; they are competing for talent. People choose where to live, work and build businesses based not only on salaries or housing costs, but also on the quality of life a place can offer. A city can have modern infrastructure and strong economic indicators, but if it lacks vibrant neighborhoods, active public spaces and thriving local businesses, it becomes harder to attract and retain the people who drive growth.

One example can be found in a place that many policymakers and investors overlook: the neighborhood fonda. For years, fondas have been viewed simply as small restaurants. Yet, collectively they form part of the operating system of Mexico City. Every day they feed workers, students, entrepreneurs, families and visitors. They generate local employment, support regional supply chains and provide affordable services that allow the city to function efficiently. More importantly, they create something that cannot easily be replicated through large-scale investment: identity.

People may not remember the name of a transportation project completed five years ago, but they remember the market where they shop, the café where they meet colleagues, and the fonda where they eat every week. These places create familiarity, trust, and connection. They are often the first point of contact between residents and visitors and help transform a collection of buildings into a community. They are economic assets, but they are also social assets, and the two are often inseparable.

This understanding is at the heart of Menú del Día, an initiative led by IDA Foundation and The Place Institute, supported by American Express and implemented alongside Fundación Placemaking and local partners. Through the program, we are working with fondas across Mexico City because strengthening local businesses is not simply an economic development strategy. It is an investment in the social infrastructure that keeps neighborhoods active, attractive, and resilient. When local businesses disappear, cities lose more than economic activity. They lose identity, local knowledge, and the relationships that sustain community life. When those businesses become stronger, the benefits extend far beyond the individual owner. Entire commercial corridors become more vibrant, local economies become more resilient, and neighborhoods become more attractive places to live and invest.

The same principle applies to public spaces. Through Pinta tu Cancha, a program supported by Fundación MetLife, we have seen repeatedly that the value of a sports court extends far beyond its physical condition. Most cities view these spaces as urban equipment that requires maintenance and occasional upgrades. In practice, they often function as platforms for community life. They provide places for recreation, social interaction, and neighborhood engagement, while creating opportunities for local leadership and civic participation.

The paint may be the most visible part of these projects, but it is rarely the most important. The real value emerges when communities participate in improving a place together and begin to see it as something worth protecting and maintaining. The physical intervention may take a few days, but the sense of ownership it creates can generate value for years. A renovated court can support sports activities, but a community that takes ownership of that court can strengthen local relationships, increase participation, and create a stronger foundation for future collective action.

For business leaders, this is not simply a social issue. It is a competitiveness issue. Strong local businesses, active public spaces, and connected communities contribute to the qualities that make cities attractive for investment, entrepreneurship, and talent. They help create the environments where innovation happens, where employees want to live, and where businesses can recruit and retain skilled workers. In a global economy where talent has increasing mobility, these factors matter more than many traditional economic indicators.

As Mexico prepares for the World Cup, the opportunity is not only to build infrastructure for a global event. It is to strengthen the places, businesses, and local institutions that will remain long after the tournament ends. The countries and cities that thrive in the coming decades will be those that understand that physical infrastructure and social infrastructure are not competing priorities. One creates value when the other functions well.

A stadium may attract global attention for a month, but a thriving fonda, a successful market, or an active sports court can continue generating economic and social value for decades. The true legacy of major investments is not measured by what is inaugurated, but by what continues creating value long after the ribbon-cutting ceremony is forgotten. That is not charity, community development, or public relations. It is a long-term economic strategy.