Mexico City's 'Xoli' Chatbot Will Help World Cup Tourists Navigate the City

The Government of Mexico City has launched Xoli, a chatbot that will provide information on services, tourism, and cultural offerings. It's available now via WhatsApp in both English and Spanish.

The platform was designed to meet the demand of the millions of visitors expected to arrive during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. However, the authorities assure that the tool will remain active once the sporting event is over, with the aim of promoting economic activities and facilitating access to public services in the capital.

In a press conference, Clara Brugada, head of the Mexico City government, stated that Xoli “will be the technological instrument that will allow us to link culture, tourism, recreation, and entertainment with the population.”

Chat With Xoli

The tool was developed entirely by the capital's government, as a result of the collaboration between the Digital Agency for Public Innovation and the local Ministries of Tourism and Culture.

The chatbot is already available on mobile devices and will operate continuously, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. To use it, just open WhatsApp, start a chat with the number 55 6565 9395, and send the word “Hola.”

Xoli (pronounced sho-lee) will immediately ask if you want to continue in English or Spanish. After selecting the preferred language, users will be able to access a menu with various categories of information, including culture, tourism, gastronomy, and mobility, or just ask a question about anything in the city.

In the context of the 2026 World Cup, there will be a specific section with information about the competition, including special events, match details, broadcasts of games in public places, and ticket purchase options.

The capital's government highlighted that this technology contributes to the city's consolidation as “a more innovative and accessible city,” by speeding up access to official information, offering timely responses and strengthening tourism promotion strategies.

Alejandra Frausto, head of Mexico City's Ministry of Tourism, pointed out that close to 3,000 tourist, recreational, and cultural activities are carried out daily in the capital. In seasons of high demand, this figure can increase to 5,000 events a day. “Translating this data into reliable and accessible information involves a great effort, but it is now possible thanks to this chatbot,” he says.

A Good Sport

The launch of Xoli adds to the technological efforts driven by the federal government to turn the upcoming World Cup into an engine of development for commerce, sports, tourism, and culture throughout the country.

Late last year, Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum presented the Mexico 2026 Social World Cup plan, which calls for more than 177 festivities and 5,000 activities linked to the tournament, as well as 74 tournaments and soccer cups aimed at students, workers, and the general public. The program also includes around 1,500 actions within the Vive Saludable (Live Healthy) initiative, aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles, as well as the rehabilitation of 4,200 public sports fields and spaces.

Among the actions announced is the creation of the Conoce México app developed jointly by the Agency for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications (ATDT) and the Ministry of Tourism. This app will allow fans, both national and foreign, to get updated information on matches, venues, routes, services, and cultural activities.

Also, the Federal Consumer Protection Agency reached an agreement with FIFA to enable a ticket sales platform that will operate in Spanish and will display prices in Mexican pesos, in accordance with national legislation. The platform will include an official resale system that will allow those who cannot attend a match to sell their tickets safely and at regulated prices.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be unprecedented in scope. For the first time in more than 90 years, the tournament will be hosted by three countries, will bring together 48 national teams and will include 104 matches, an increase of approximately 10 match days and 40 additional matches compared to previous editions.

In this context, the event represents a significant opportunity to boost tourism and trade in Mexico. However, several studies warn that the championship could have a considerable environmental impact, in addition to increasing the pressure on essential services such as water and electricity, aspects that, until now, have not been fully incorporated into Mexican government strategies.