Myriad Mexico City welcomes the World Cup

MEXICO CITY (CN) — One of three Mexican host cities of the FIFA World Cup kicked off festivities on Thursday, a day that loomed on the calendar for many due to demands for government responsibility for an ongoing mass disappearance crisis, narco violence, over-touristification and what unionized teachers see as an unfair retirement plan.

Mexico City has had a particularly tragic past when hosting worldwide sporting events, as evidenced in the Tlatelolco student massacre of 1968 during Mexico’s dirty war when a still-unconfirmed number of students were violently repressed by the Institutional Revolutionary Party while protesting the Olympics. The death toll is estimated to be over 400.

Thousands of teachers from the National Educational Workers Coordination (CNTE) marched on Thursday down Tlalpan Avenue, which leads to Estadio Azteca, completely blocking vehicle access towards the stadium during the FIFA World Cup inauguration.

Hundreds of mothers from numerous search collectives also marched down Tlalpan, demanding answers and asking for who the World Cup benefits.

“Mexico: the greatest in disappearances,” they chanted, walking down the avenue in the morning towards the stadium before facing a massive police presence of hundreds of city officers that cut off their route with horse trailers and riot shields.

“My son has been missing since 2024. His name is José Alberto Gómez García. He went out to play soccer and never came back. I’m here because the authorities aren’t doing anything, because our president isn’t listening to us. She says the numbers are made up and that’s not true. That’s why I’m here. She has to hear us somehow,” said María de Los Angeles García.

Currently, Mexico faces a crisis of at least 133,000 people disappeared and more than 72,000 people unidentified, which the United Nations has urged the Mexican government to deal with, but has fallen on deaf ears by the Sheinbaum administration.

“Citizens, a Mexico against the pocket of workers are the ones we are fighting against, because they are the ones who imposed nineteen years ago the pension reform, the reform of the ISSSTE law. Mexico, as a country that subscribes to international agreements with international financial organizations, is precisely the one that carries out such reforms against workers,” bellowed a loudspeaker from the CNTE march down Tlalpan Avenue.

The organizer was referring to the Law of the Institute for Social Security and Services for State Workers, passed in 2007 under former President Felipe Calderón’s administration. It drastically altered Mexico state workers’ pensions from a collective-based system to an individual one managed by private pension fund managers called AFOREs, which have decreased teacher pensions. The law increased their retirement age and required years of service before retirement.

On a bridge overlooking the teachers’ march, not everyone agreed.

Two young women in Mexico national team jerseys yelled at the teachers from above, venting their frustration, calling the marchers sell-outs and liars. They quickly went down the bridge tunnel after hundreds of teachers started yelling back in frustration.

“I have a right to express myself just like they do, no?” said one of the women who didn’t want to be named.

The CNTE, with over a week of marches and blockades in Mexico City’s downtown, have caused frustration with many Mexico City residents including small business owners downtown who staged their own blockade on Tuesday in protest of the CNTE blockade.

A thirty minute taxi ride from the police shields and newly purple-painted pedestrian bridges of Tlalpan avenue is Plaza Garibaldi, the historic square where Mariachis come to live or die. In a still sometimes rough part of the city center, it is dotted by cantinas and pulquerias.

On Thursday, it is the sight of a FIFA Fan Fest, the majority of the hundreds of attendees are dressed in green Mexico jerseys and lots have been drinking Mexican national beer since the morning in anticipation of what the city has shut down for: Mexico vs. South Africa.

“We came here to get our energy pumping, because football for us is the true energy,” said Alex Fox in Plaza Garibaldi. He said he went to the Zócalo, Mexico’s largest public square and where the Presidential Palace is. “It’s better here anyway. We came to watch the game.”

Maribel Guevara, a vendor selling Mexican flags also came from the Zócalo.

“Well it’s been okay here, we came from the Zócalo but we heard they also had screens up here so we came here. It’s been better than the Zócalo, too many people there,” she said.

Selwyn Hocaey and Haidee Williams, from Cape Town, South Africa said they love Mexico.

" We absolutely love everything about this country, from the food to the people, it’s been truly amazing" said Hocaey. “We want to win of course. But we hope Mexico goes all the way to the end.”

Another attendee, Diego Aguillón was with his friends after halftime after the screen in the fan zone suffered a technical malfunction. For 10 minutes after Mexico made it 2-0 against their South African opponents, the massive screen disconnected to chants somewhere between frustration and jubilation.

Some chanted their frustration in swear words towards Mayor Clara Brugada in jest, seizing on the current political climate of who’s-to-blame.

“They’re obviously going to win. It would probably be better if they scored three goals but —they’re going to win,” said Aguillón.

They won, 2-0.

As if someone turned on a switch, the rain started pouring down as it does during June in this city. But the fans in Plaza Garibaldi partied hard under a gazebo in the middle of the plaza doing shots of tequila, chanting, laughing and welcoming anyone who was around with hugs or a beer — including Germans, South Africans, English and Americans.

Maggie Herrera was in Mexico City in 1986, the last time Mexico City hosted the World Cup and most known for Maradona’s “Hand of God.”

“I was just a kid then, and it was amazing then and it’s even better now. Happy to be alive and in Mexico,” said Herrera.

“Olé, Olé, Olé,” the crowd chanted as the rain poured down.

And onto the next game, onto the next day.