Mexico soccer team returns $1 million Rolex watches

The Mexican national soccer team has returned a set of luxury Rolex watches gifted to them by American content creator Stephen Deleonardis, known online as SteveWillDoIt, to avoid potential sanctions from FIFA. The decision came ahead of Mexico's scheduled World Cup Round of 16 match against England at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca.

Deleonardis presented the watches, reportedly worth $1 million in total, to the players and staff after Mexico's 2-0 victory over Ecuador in the Round of 32. In social media videos, players were seen celebrating the gift by tossing the content creator into the air. Deleonardis stated he had placed a $2 million wager on Mexico to win that match.

However, FIFA regulations strictly prohibit players and officials from accepting gifts of significant monetary value that lack symbolic meaning, a rule designed to prevent conflicts of interest and potential match manipulation. Violations of the FIFA Code of Ethics can result in fines and bans from football-related activities.

To avoid any punishment, the Mexican Football Association and the players agreed to return the watches. The team issued a statement on social media platform X confirming the decision,...