Burned by Canada, Obama eyes sports bet with Mexico — tequila

President Obama is not about to waste an international sports wager on “friendly matches,” but he wouldn’t turn down a U.S. victory that comes with a bottle of tequila for him.

Obama said Monday he does not plan to make a wager with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto about the upcoming United States-Mexico soccer warm-up match in Arizona in April. But he said he would challenge Nieto to a bet if the two teams faced each other in the World Cup, which begins in June. 

{mosads}”You know, I think we’ll have to wait,” he told Univision in an interview Monday. “Friendly matches, you know, aren’t worth betting on. But if we see Mexico in the World Cup, then I’ll definitely make the bet.”

When asked if the stakes would be more interesting with beer or tequila, Obama said: “Tequila would be even better.”

President Obama already lost two cases of beer in a wager with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The two bet on the outcome of the men’s and women’s hockey games during the Olympics last month. 

It appeared Obama settled the bet earlier this month. However, Obama noted he has been late with payment to Harper because the White House is planning to send home-brewed beer, which takes a little longer. 

“But we don’t make that much, so two cases is a lot of beer to lose,” Obama said. “You know, it’s not like we just go to the grocery store and buy two cases of, you know, Budweiser or Dos Equis. … We’re going to make sure we pay our bets though.”

In the World Cup this year in Brazil, the United States was placed in Group G, while Mexico is in Group A. Any potential match-up would have to come in either the semifinals or the championship. 

“I mean our group, you know, we got Portugal, Germany, Ghana,” Obama said. “It is going to be a tough situation. Now, you know, Mexico … has got some tough matches as well.”