Mexican Team Returns Gifted Rolexes Due to FIFA Regulations

In a recent turn of events, the Mexican national football team has returned a collection of Rolex watches that were gifted to them by American content creator Stephen Deleonardis, known as Stevewilldoit. This gesture was made following the regulations outlined by FIFA concerning the acceptance of gifts. Deleonardis, who has over 1.5 million subscribers on YouTube, originally presented these luxurious timepieces to the players, including Santi Gimenez, at their training center while they prepared for their match against Ecuador in the round of 32.

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The watches, valued between $30,000 and $90,000 each, with a total collection worth around $1 million, were returned after a mutual agreement with the team. In a video on his channel, Deleonardis mentioned that he lives in Mexico and had placed a $2 million bet on the national team's victory against Ecuador, which paid off with a million-dollar profit, the exact value of the watches. However, FIFA's Article 21 of the Code of Ethics prohibits the acceptance of gifts unless they hold symbolic or negligible value, and this move was to ensure compliance with these standards.

The Mexican team, which is co-hosting the World Cup 2026, has been performing excellently, winning all four of their matches to date. They are set to face England in the round of 16 at the legendary Estadio Azteca. The regulations are clear that gifts cannot be offered or accepted if intended to influence decisions or create conflicts of interest, with violations potentially leading to severe penalties, including fines and bans from football-related activities.

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