Just days before the start of the football World Cup, thousands of protesters blocked a major road leading to Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on Tuesday. As football fans began flocking to the tournament’s co-host nations—the United States, Canada, and Mexico—the capital of this Central American country faced chaos due to teacher protests. News agency AFP reported this development.
Tuesday’s protest was led by a splinter group of the teachers’ union, CNTE. It is part of a week-long series of demonstrations that President Claudia Sheinbaum has described as a provocation. Speaking at a press conference, she remarked, “It seems as though they want to say—look how bad the situation in Mexico is.”
The World Cup’s opening match is scheduled for Thursday at the Azteca Stadium, where host nation Mexico will face South Africa. Millions of viewers worldwide are expected to tune in to watch the opening ceremony and the match. In anticipation of the protests, authorities have deployed thousands of police officers and erected concrete barriers around the stadium. Protester Angel Villalobos said, “We want to reach the stadium. The government has made some proposals, but they are of no use to us; they fail to satisfy our demands.”
Earlier, President Sheinbaum confirmed that the opening match would go ahead as planned. However, the leftist leader reiterated that she does not favor using police force to suppress protests. Her government has opted for dialogue with the protesting teachers, though these efforts have so far yielded no results. Austreberto Flores, another protester preparing to stage a sit-in outside the Azteca Stadium, stated, “We will continue our movement.”
The CNTE teachers’ union has been on strike since last week, demanding salary increases and the repeal of pension laws. The government, however, maintains that meeting these demands is not feasible. Teachers have also set up temporary camps near the World Cup fan zone in Mexico City’s Zócalo Square. On June 1, police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters in the area. President Sheinbaum stated that they are trying to create the impression that Mexico is in the midst of severe social unrest, but that is not the reality.
The teachers have called for even larger protests on Thursday, the day the World Cup kicks off. Family members of the so-called “disappeared” persons—individuals allegedly killed or abducted by Mexican authorities or criminal gangs—will also participate. The 2026 edition of the world’s biggest football tournament is considered the most logistically complex in history. Meanwhile, Mexico is racing to complete renovations on its subway stations and main international airport ahead of the tournament’s start.
