The 2026 FIFA World Cup opened on Thursday at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Mexico defeated South Africa 3-0. It was, by the on-field standard, an unambiguous success.
Outside the stadium, things were more complicated. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the gates of the 87,000-seat venue. Many were relatives of people missing in Mexico’s ongoing drug war, which has claimed an estimated 400,000 lives over the past two decades. Minutes before kickoff, protesters began approaching the stadium before attempting to breach the premises. Per GB News, the mob smashed up a nearby lorry. They hurled flares and stones at police officers. Riot police responded. A man suffered a heart attack outside the venue.
The opening ceremony, which had been under threat from multiple protest coalitions throughout the week, went ahead. Mexico’s president had declined to attend and given away her ticket, citing the demonstrations. The teachers’ union, which had threatened to block access to the stadium, ultimately did not prevent the match.
The tournament is the largest in FIFA history. 48 teams. 104 matches. 16 cities across three countries over 39 days. The United States, as host, had a civil rights advisory published about it by 120 organizations including the ACLU. France declined to host fan zones. European teams posed for protest photographs.
The opening match, in the end, was watched by a full stadium. Mexico won. The protesters were outside. The man with the heart attack was treated on site. The tournament continues.
If the world’s most-watched sporting event has become the venue where every grievance goes to audition, what happens when a country’s drug war finally gets a seat inside the stadium?
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