Mexico return luxury watches gifted by YouTuber
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- Stevewilldoit (Stephen Deleonardis) spent $1m (£747,000) on Rolex watches for every Mexico player and staff member, presenting them on Monday — the day before Mexico beat Ecuador in the last-32.
- Mexico returned the watches "by mutual agreement" after FIFA's Code of Ethics was cited, with article 21 restricting gifts to those of "symbolic or trivial value."
- Mexico's X account stated Stevewilldoit gifted them "on his own initiative," distancing the squad from any solicitation.
- Mexico face England at Azteca Stadium on Sunday evening local time (01:00 BST Monday) in the World Cup last-16, seeking their first quarter-final since hosting in 1986.
Why it matters: The forced return of $1m in Rolexes shows FIFA's strict gift ethics colliding with the influencer economy during a World Cup. Mexico avoids a potential article 21 violation heading into a high-profile last-16 match against England.
