Mexico: Mothers protest World Cup opening over disappearance crisis

Mothers searching for missing loved ones disrupted the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup in Mexico City, demanding attention to the country's profound crisis of enforced disappearances. Chanting "Mexico, champion in disappearance," the activists sought to bring international focus to the plight of over 133,000 people who remain unaccounted for.

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Mexico, champion in disappearance.

The protest, held near the stadium, saw moments of tension as authorities attempted to control the demonstrations. Activists held banners with messages like "The ball returns home, and our disappeared when?" and "Negligent government, return our children." They also performed the count of 43, a somber reference to the 2014 disappearance of 43 students from Ayotzinapa.

Yoltzi Martínez, who has been searching for her sister for 16 years, criticized the government's focus on beautifying the city for the World Cup. "All the money invested in painting, making axolotls, beautifying the city for the World Cup... should be focused on locating the disappeared," she stated, contrasting the event's security and resources with the national emergency.

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All the money invested in painting, making axolotls, beautifying the city for the World Cup. All this security... should be focused on locating the disappeared.

Another protester described the World Cup celebration as "unbelievable" given the scale of disappearances, calling the focus on the spectacle a "brutal" distraction. Citizens supporting the cause also voiced criticism of the government's anti-narcotics strategy, linking organized crime and violence to the ongoing crisis of disappearances.

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it is unbelievable that a party (for the World Cup) is being held in the country when there are more than 130,000 disappeared.