Mexico City, Mexico, May 21, 2006 / 22:00 pm
The Mexican soccer team is planning to pray before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and consecrate the team to her before heading off to Germany for the 2006 World Cup.
The Archbishop of Mexico City, Cardinal Norberto Rivera, will celebrate a special Mass at the Guadalupe basilica for the intentions of the soccer team. The act will mark an historic first for the team, which in the past has not expressed any public religious sentiment, although individual team members have made known their own Catholic faith and devotion to Mary.
The Mexican soccer team will travel to Germany immediately afterwards, where it will play practice games with France and Holland before the official start of the World Cup.