The World Cup officially kicked off at 11:00am in Mexico City on Thursday. But several hours earlier, thousands of teachers, organized by the National Coordinating Committee of Education Workers (CNTE) were already marching to the Ciudad de México Stadium to protest President Caludia Sheinbaum’s austerity measures and the billions that her  government is spending on the tournament. These teachers were also joined by the relatives and families of the thousands of disappeared persons that the Sheinbaum government has done nothing to help. Their slogans targeted the current administration’s refusal to repeal the 2007 public employee law which significantly reduced workers pensions, as well as the increasing repression and   criminalization of social protest.

More than 50,000 people participated in the marches and mobilizations called by the CNTE and various student and political organizations to protest the World Cup. The column, which at the start of the march already reached approximately 3 kilometers in length, flooded Calzada de Tlalpan towards the vicinity of the stadium where they were met with police repression.

The day was marked by an excessive security operation, road closures, and the cancellation of public transportation routes to protect the FIFA opening event. While thousands marched for decent pensions and better living conditions, the government set up screens in the Zócalo (central square) to broadcast the opening match as a temporary solution to the exorbitant cost of tickets, inaccessible to the vast majority of the working population.

Among the grievances of this mobilization is the fact that the 2026 World Cup was financed with public funds while cuts, precarious working conditions, and neglect persist in fundamental areas such as health, education, and housing. “The dignity of teachers and working people is worth more than their World Cup and their profits,” was one of the slogans that resonated throughout the march.

“They Threw a Party at Our House and Didn’t Invite Us”

While it’s true that Mexico is a country that is mad about football, the spirit of grand celebration that the mainstream media, imperialism, the government, and the right wing are trying to sell simply doesn’t exist. In recent days, phrases like “they threw a party at our house and didn’t invite us” have gone viral. This is because the cost of tickets to any of the matches is unaffordable for the vast majority of the country’s workers. Only a handful of domestic fans and tens of thousands of foreign tourists will be able to enjoy the World Cup.

In addition, over the past few months, Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey have been filled with construction and real estate investment aimed at catering to the tourists who will be in Mexico for the World Cup. This has resulted in endless lines for public transportation, traffic congestion, and construction projects that remain unfinished on opening day. A huge amount of the budget has been spent, without a single peso going to health, education, culture, or pensions.

While FIFA, governments, and large corporations celebrate the multi-billion dollar business of the World Cup, the streets reveal a different reality: that of a country plagued by precariousness, violence, and social crisis. The World Cup opening ceremony fails to mask the discontent of thousands of teachers fighting for decent pensions, nor the pain of families searching for their missing loved ones in the face of a state incapable of providing answers.

The dark side of the World Cup is expressed in the protests, in the massive police operation deployed to protect the party for the elite, and in a working-class population that, for the most part, won’t even be able to access the stadiums. Because while millions are allocated to megaprojects, tourism, and infrastructure to guarantee profits for FIFA and corporations, the most urgent needs of the population — health, education, housing, culture, and decent pensions — continue to be neglected.

Far from the official narrative of national unity and celebration, the start of the 2026 World Cup is taking place amidst growing social polarization across the world. And while the media will try to project the image of a global party, the demands of those who refuse to let the spectacle overshadow the crisis will continue to resonate in the streets of Mexico City.

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