Mexico has entered discussions with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on its intent to bid for the 2036 or 2040 Olympic and Paralympic Games. If successful, the nation would host its second Summer Games, adding to the 1968 edition held in Mexico City.
The rumored bid was formally launched Wednesday at the Mexican Foreign Ministry by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon and president of the Mexican Olympic Committee (COM) María José Alcalá Izguerra. The IOC’s Director of Future Olympic Games Hosts Jaqueline Barrett has been engaged by COM to move forward the process, officials said.
During the launch event Alcalá released a letter from IOC president Thomas Bach encouraging Mexico to bid and naming the nation a “viable candidate”. Under bidding reforms launched in 2019, interested hosts are asked to join a continuous dialogue with the IOC’s Future Host Commission to identify a mutual opportunity. Qualified bidders will then be invited to join a targeted dialogue as preferred candidates.
Earlier this year Bach hinted that the 2036 Olympic host will not be elected until after 2025 when his term as president ends.
The filing of the bid comes after several years of COM rejecting ambitious proposals to host in Monterrey, most recently for the Games in 2016 and 2024. The latest bid was ruled out by President of the Sports Commission in the Chamber of Deputies Felipe Munoz Kapamas who said in 2014 that there were no economic or infrastructure conditions in Mexico for a bid to take place.
The IOC has since introduced many cost-cutting measures and has encouraged future hosts to be more efficient and sustainable while preparing to stage the event. COM has yet to identify the possible host city, but under IOC rules events could be spread across a region in order to leverage venues that already exist.
Alcalá said “This [bid] shows that Mexico is on the right path, a path that can lead us to the promotion, development and strengthening of sport in Mexico.”
Hoy junto con el Canciller @m_ebrard anunciamos que la candidatura para realizar los @juegosolimpicos de México 2036/2040 es un hecho 👏🇲🇽.
Agradezco el respaldo del @GobiernoMX y de la @SRE_mx #MéxicoEsOlímpico #MéxicoEsCampeón pic.twitter.com/UbJc6csCOz— Mari Jose Alcala, OLY (@maryjosealcala) October 26, 2022
Mexico will become the first nation to host FIFA World Cup matches three times when it co-hosts the football championship with Canada and the United States in 2026.
“We see ourselves as a triumphant, successful, ambitious country that respects international standards,” Minister Ebrard said.
COM will set up a bid promotion committee before November 30 to be comprised of businessmen, cultural representatives and athletes. Feasibility studies will follow.
Mexico will join a growing field of nations interested in hosting a future Games. Last week IOC director general Christophe De Kepper said as many as 10 national Olympic committees were involved in “very different stages” of discussions around hosting. Among those known to be in the mix are Indonesia, India, United Kingdom, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, South Korea and Germany.
Last year Brisbane was elected to host the 2032 Olympic Games under the new, dialogue-based process. Paris is set to stage the Games in 2024 followed by Los Angeles in 2028.
