Mexico City is gearing up to host the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 11, and the preparation looks less like a party and more like a military operation. The country has activated a massive security strategy as ongoing protests by a powerful teachers’ union threaten to complicate one of the biggest sporting events on the planet.
The security plan, dubbed “Plan Kukulkan,” involves the deployment of nearly 100,000 personnel across Mexico’s major host cities. That includes approximately 20,000 military and 55,000 police spread across Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara.
Protests meet the beautiful game
The source of the tension is the CNTE, Mexico’s combative teachers’ union, which has established encampments in strategic locations throughout the capital. Their demands are not new: better wages and the restoration of guaranteed pension benefits that were revoked around two decades ago.
Protesters have occupied the Zócalo, Mexico City’s iconic central plaza and the planned site for the main World Cup fan festival. They’ve also targeted World Cup promotional statues, toppling them in acts of defiance that have generated significant attention. Confrontations with law enforcement have already occurred, raising the stakes further as the tournament approaches.
