Overview
- Stephen Deleonardis, the YouTuber known as Stevewilldoit, presented Rolex watches to Mexico’s players and staff when he met the squad on Monday, June 29, before their last‑32 match with Ecuador.
- The Mexican Football Federation posted on X that, by mutual agreement, the team returned the watches and said the gifts were given on the creator’s own initiative.
- FIFA’s Code of Ethics (Article 21) permits only gifts of symbolic or trivial value, and accepting high‑value items can expose players or federations to fines or bans under those rules.
- Deleonardis has said he spent about $1 million on the Rolexes and footage showed players celebrating the gift, but the timing ahead of Mexico’s knockout match with England intensified scrutiny.
- The episode underlines tensions between influencer publicity and sports governance and could prompt federations to tighten protocols for outside offers and public access to teams.