Just over 24 hours before the start of the FIFA 2026 World Cup, Mexico City, the city that will host the opening match, Mexico-South Africa, is engulfed in chaos. Mexican police intervened to block thousands of teachers from the National Coordination of Education Workers who had started a march towards the Azteca stadium.

The Mexican government is seeking to prevent union protests over wage increases that could affect the World Cup opening ceremony.

Local police placed concrete blocks to prevent protesters from marching towards the stadium. Local media reports that the government is keeping channels of dialogue open in an attempt to reach an agreement with the protesters.