00:06Football is often called the beautiful game, but its impact stretches far beyond the pitch.
00:12The 2026 FIFA World Cup isn't just about what happens on the field, it's also bringing
00:17people together beyond the game.
00:23Four years after Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup, the tournament's legacy is still creating
00:28connections far beyond the pitch.
00:30Here in Mexico City, art, film, photography and football history are bringing people together
00:35as part of the Qatar, Canada, Mexico Year of Culture, showing sport can create conversation
00:40and cultural exchange long after the final whistle.
00:44The main goal of the Years of Culture program is exchange cultural knowledge between all
00:51the country.
00:52At Museo Jumex, football history takes center stage.
00:56The Objects of Glory exhibition brings together some of the sport's most iconic artifacts from
01:02Pele's boots to Diego Maradona's jersey from the infamous Hand of God match at the 1986 World
01:08Cup.
01:09For curator Sheikha Najla Althani, bringing these objects from Qatar's 321 Olympic and Sports
01:15Museum to Mexico City was about more than celebrating football history.
01:19It was an opportunity to connect two countries linked by the World Cup and a shared passion
01:24for the game.
01:26As Mexico is hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026, we think this is a very important opportunity
01:32for 321 to have this collection showcased and displayed here in Mexico City to have this
01:38engagement with the Mexican fans and worldwide fans who are attending the event.
01:45Across the city, another exhibition looks at what happens after a World Cup ends.
01:51Journeys to Greatness explores the legacy of Qatar 2022, from infrastructure innovation to cultural
01:57diplomacy and human connection.
02:00the reason behind the year of culture with Mexico is to enhance our relations cultural and educational
02:07with Mexico and Canada.
02:09We would like to, you know, just extend our arm to the world, actually, and to the Mexican
02:17people that who loves the arts and also they love the sports.
02:22The exchange isn't limited to football.
02:26At Mexico's Cineteca Nacional, audiences have been discovering contemporary Arab cinema through
02:31a special program curated by the Doha Film Institute.
02:35For Cineteca's director of programming, the films resonate because their stories feel universal.
02:40The film is, many times, the more local is and reflects the concerns of the individual,
02:52the, let's say, of the cineast, or the socials of the cineast, the more universal is when
02:58it is seen outside.
02:59To have a presence of the Arab cinema, which was something quite new, it was a lot of, it was
03:06a
03:06time for a week.
03:07I think it can serve as an start of a collaboration that can be very fruitful for us.
03:17And as Mexico prepared to welcome the world, organizers were also reflecting on lessons from Qatar's
03:23tournament.
03:24To learn about what Qatar did and show the world what we are and all our traditions.
03:29How to show them our culture, our traditions, our colors, our music, and this is a feast.
03:39That idea of cultural exchange also extends to the dining table.
03:43Chef Elena Regadas, whose bakery plans to expand to Qatar, sees food as one of the simplest ways
03:50people can connect.
04:06The Year of Culture program also extends into design, bringing creatives from Mexico and
04:12Qatar together through collaborations such as Design Week Mexico.
04:17Through exchange of culture, we can become great ambassadors, each of us, for our own country.
04:23I guess to have two so different cultures get to know each other.
04:28And as I say, these exchanges can plant a seed and that seed can grow into flowers of knowledge.
04:35The World Cup may last only a few weeks, but in Mexico City, its legacy continues through
04:40exhibitions, conversations, and shared experiences.
04:43Proof that football's greatest impact isn't always measured in goals or trophies.
04:48Sometimes, it's the connections the game leaves behind.
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