Major sporting events reliably trigger infrastructure investment from host cities, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup — shared across Mexico, the United States, and Canada — is proving no exception.
Mexico City has launched Xoli, a WhatsApp-based chatbot designed to help residents and visitors navigate the capital’s services, tourism options, gastronomy, mobility, and cultural offerings. Available now in English and Spanish, the tool is accessible by opening WhatsApp, messaging 55 6565 9395, and sending the word “Hola.” Users are then prompted to select a language before accessing a structured menu or asking open-ended questions. The name is pronounced sho-lee.
According to the announcement, the chatbot was built entirely by the city government through collaboration between the Digital Agency for Public Innovation and the local Ministries of Tourism and Culture. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Clara Brugada, head of the Mexico City government, described Xoli at a press conference as “the technological instrument that will allow us to link culture, tourism, recreation, and entertainment with the population.” The city’s authorities say the tool will remain active after the World Cup ends, with the stated goal of promoting economic activity and improving access to public services long-term.
The scale of what the chatbot is expected to index is considerable. Alejandra Frausto, head of Mexico City‘s Ministry of Tourism, noted that roughly 3,000 tourist, recreational, and cultural activities take place in the capital daily — a figure that climbs to 5,000 events per day during peak demand periods. “Translating this data into reliable and accessible information involves a great effort, but it is now possible thanks to this chatbot,” Frausto said. For the World Cup specifically, Xoli will include a dedicated section covering match details, special events, public broadcast locations, and ticket purchasing.
A Broader Federal Push
Xoli sits within a wider federal effort to channel the tournament into sustained economic and social development. Late last year, Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum introduced the Mexico 2026 Social World Cup plan, which calls for more than 177 festivities, 5,000 linked activities, 74 tournaments aimed at students and workers, approximately 1,500 actions under the Vive Saludable (Live Healthy) initiative, and the rehabilitation of 4,200 public sports fields and spaces.
A separate Conoce México app, developed jointly by the Agency for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications and the federal Ministry of Tourism, will offer fans updated information on matches, venues, routes, services, and cultural programming. Separately, the Federal Consumer Protection Agency reached an agreement with FIFA to operate a Spanish-language ticket sales platform displaying prices in Mexican pesos, with an official resale system allowing ticket holders to sell at regulated prices.
The 2026 edition will be the first World Cup in over 90 years hosted by three countries, the first to feature 48 national teams, and will include 104 matches — roughly 40 more than previous tournaments.
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