Mexico Forced to Return Luxury Rolex Watches Gifted by YouTuber

FIFA has strict rules on accepting gifts, meaning the players are not able to take up the gesture.

Mexico’s progress had been rewarded with some lavish goods. | Louis Grasse/PxImages/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images (Stevewilldoit), AJ Johnson/ISI Photos/Getty Images (Mexico’s players celebrating)

Mexico’s players and staff have been forced to return the luxury Rolex watches, worth a combined $1 million, gifted to them by American content creator Stevewilldoit.

Javier Aguirre’s side received the gifts before Mexico’s impressive 2–0 victory over Ecuador at the Estadio Azteca, setting up a potentially epochal round of 16 against England with a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals at stake.

El Tri have enjoyed a stellar campaign on home soil, winning all four games, with the Mexican supporters operating as the lifeblood of a so-far-hugely successful tournament. Aguirre’s players are being cherished as heroes, and they’ll be immortalized in Mexican soccer folklore if they defeat the Three Lions at the iconic Azteca on Sunday night.

An impressive tournament was made just that little bit sweeter when they were paid a visit from Stephen Deleonardis, a.k.a Stevewilldoit, who earned online notoriety for completing extreme drinking challenges and later became involved with the infamous NELK Boys.

---

FIFA Rules Force Mexico To Return $1 Million Worth of Rolexes

Mexican national futbol team celebratory jump toss thing whatever u wanna call it 😂 #stevewilldoit pic.twitter.com/tjq0XBB313

— Steve Will Do It (@stevewilldoit) July 4, 2026

Steve visited the Mexico players the day before their round of 32 tie in the capital, handing out luxury Rolexes to each member of Aguirre’s roster and staff. He claimed in a YouTube video that the collection was worth $1 million, with the value of each watch ranging from $30,000 to $90,000.

His arrival was met with great excitement by the players, who were set to earn a healthy bonus from an unlikely source.

However, these watches have since been returned to Steve due to FIFA rules, which state in Article 21 of their Code of Ethics that gifts are prohibited unless they have “symbolic or trivial value”.

The governing body also says gifts are not permitted if they are offered or accepted “as a way of influencing” those bound by the code to do something, or act against any rules or create a conflict of interest.

---

WIN FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ FINAL TICKETS & OTHER PRIZES

Compete against the world. | Sports Illustrated

---

Any violations could result in a $12,500 fine and, more significantly, “a ban on taking part in any football-related activity for a maximum of two years”.

A statement from the Mexican national team read: “The SNM reports that by mutual agreement, our players decided to return to the content creator, @stevewilldoit, the watches that he had gifted them on his own initiative.”

Steve, who lives in Mexico and told the players on multiple occasions just how much he loves the country, not only got the watches back, but he also placed a $2 million bet on El Tri to beat Ecuador, supposedly returning a $1 million profit.

---