During a news conference before the start of the 2026 World Cup, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said everything was under control for the opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City despite multiple demonstrations scheduled for June 11 near the newly renamed Mexico City Stadium.
"There is no problem. Everyone with a ticket will be able to get there because there are no classes and no office work. Everything is under control. The only recommendation is to leave earlier," Sheinbaum said.
Despite those assurances, Sheinbaum's comments were largely aimed at fans attending the match and did not address the broader grievances driving the planned protests.
At least seven groups are expected to demonstrate near the stadium, hoping to bring attention to their causes before international broadcasters and the thousands of tourists arriving in the Mexican capital. Among them will be collectives of mothers searching for relatives who disappeared amid years of violence and organized crime.
"These women, mothers, sisters, daughters and wives, search for clandestine graves, travel through territories controlled by organized crime and face threats, attacks and stigmatization," Amnesty International said in its description of the movement. "They do so without minimum security guarantees and often without legal or psychological support. Meanwhile, authorities ignore their needs, fail to comply with the law and, in some cases, revictimize or criminalize them."
Transport workers, health care workers and thousands of unionized teachers affiliated with the National Coordinator of Education Workers, known as CNTE, are also expected to march toward the stadium and in other parts of the city to demand higher wages and other concessions from the government.
Facing the prospect of major disruptions along key avenues, FIFA organizers have mapped out alternate routes and air transport contingencies to ensure the safe movement of teams, particularly the South African national team.
Meanwhile, the Mexico City government will deploy more than 10,000 security personnel around Mexico City Stadium and the city's hotel corridors as part of a broader security operation.
Authorities emphasized that while they respect the right to protest, they will not allow demonstrators to completely block access routes or disrupt the opening match.
During her June 10 press conference, Sheinbaum also accused Mexico's political opposition of trying to portray the country as being in the midst of a social crisis that she argues does not exist, using the start of the World Cup as an opportunity to amplify those narratives before a global audience.
"But it is important for people to understand what they are trying to do and who is behind it," Sheinbaum said. "The far right, because that is how they describe themselves, is very irresponsibly calling for violence. And there are also other groups that claim to be highly radicalized and are engaging in these violent acts as well."
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