The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicked off on June 11 at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca with a match between South Africa and Mexico. What also kicked off: tear gas, mass detentions, and a human rights investigation.
Mexico City’s Human Rights Commission, known as the CDHCM, opened four formal complaint files after police detained 12 protesters and 2 journalists during demonstrations that erupted around the tournament’s opening day. The detentions came amid clashes between security forces and demonstrators protesting everything from pension reforms to gentrification to the government’s spending priorities on a global soccer party.
What happened on the ground
The protests were not spontaneous or surprising. Multiple groups converged on Mexico City with grievances that long predated the first whistle. The CNTE teachers’ union marched over pension issues and education reforms. Families of disappeared individuals demanded answers. Anti-gentrification activists argued that World Cup-related development was displacing communities and redirecting public funds away from urgent social needs.
Things escalated. Approximately 200 hooded individuals were involved in clashes during the protests leading up to the opening ceremony. Police responded with tear gas. Fourteen people were detained in total, including the two journalists.
