Protests in Mexico generate instability before the World Cup

Teachers from Mexico's National Coordination of Education Workers (CNTE) scale a fence as they attempt to invade the Public Education Secretariat (SEP) during a protest to demand better salaries and pensions, under the slogan "If there is no solution, the ball won't roll", on the eve of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City
REUTERS/Paola Garcia
A week before the opening match of the FIFA World Cup in Mexico City North, on June 11, at the legendary Azteca Stadium, in Mexico City, protesters occupied the fan zone, the official area designated for fans.
On June 1, Mexico's powerful teachers' union, the National Coordination of Education Workers (CNTE), called for an indefinite national strike demanding a 100% salary increase for the category.
Thousands of people took part in a march through the historic center of the Mexican capital this week as part of of the protests organized by the CNTE, blocking streets and promoting riots. Violent clashes with security forces occurred in the government district. According to press reports, a group of protesters invaded the Ministry of Education, where a fire had to be controlled in the entrance hall. Security forces used tear gas.
Along the imposing Paseo de la Reforma, protesters tore down plastic statues of football players, several meters high, that had been erected for the World Cup. They tore the giant shirts and burned them in public. On the toppled sculptures, the activists left their unmistakable message: "without a solution, the ball doesn't roll."
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To draw attention to their demands, the teachers occupied the official fans' area in the Zócalo, the capital's central square.
The roots of the conflict
The teachers' indignation is directed at the education and pension policies of President Claudia Sheinbaum's government. The 10% salary increase promised in May 2025, expected to come into effect in September 2026, was rejected by the union management as being considered insufficient.
Permanent elementary school teachers in Mexico can earn almost R$6,000 per month. This puts them slightly above the national salary average. The gross starting salary for a full-time teaching position at a public primary school in Mexico currently ranges between approximately R$2,400 and R$4,200 per month, depending on the region and educational background.
In reality, many teachers earn considerably less due to part-time work. According to the newspaper El Heraldo, citing Mexico's National Institute of Statistics, the average starting salary of a teacher is just around R$2,000.
Another teachers' union, the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE), imposes more moderate salary demands. Faced with high inflation, especially in metropolitan areas, the entity demands a 13% salary increase for 2026.
World Cup as strategic leverage
The fact that the strike is taking place in the week before the World Cup is no coincidence. SNTE deliberately exploits international attention as a form of pressure. Mexico expects around five million international tourists during the tournament, which it organizes together with the United States and Canada.
According to the Sports Business Today newsletter, up to 100,000 people are expected to attend the public event at the Zócalo on the days of the Mexican team's games. However, the party is threatened by the striking teachers' camp set up there. FIFA has even canceled a training course for volunteers that would have been held in the square.
In his daily press conferences, the so-called mañaneras, Sheinbaum accused radical groups of trying to provoke the State under the international spotlight. At the same time, she rejected imposing a harsh crackdown, saying her government will not "fall into the trap" of suppressing protests in front of the entire world.
Instead, negotiations are underway.

The government has already rejected the maximum demands as "incompatible with the federal budget". An agreement that includes new salary increases and greater pension benefits is considered likely.
Meanwhile, public discontent is growing. Local businesspeople and logistics companies have already suffered economic losses estimated at R$119 million due to vandalism, blocking of main roads and closure of airports. Local press reports and reports on social media indicate that ordinary citizens also feel increasingly hostage to the union. Some media outlets, mainly from regions of the country not directly affected, report more understanding.
"The pedagogy of violence"
The government considers the disturbances to be the work of some radical groups. "There was a lot of teasing. I actually don't believe it was the teachers," Sheinbaum said. The Mexican press partially agrees with this interpretation and defends the demonstrations as a legitimate expression of social demands.
The conservative press tends to see things differently. In his column in the newspaper Milenio, Mexican writer and journalist Héctor Aguilar Camín criticizes the "pedagogy of violence", with which the country's teachers would set a shameful example. He also blames the ruling Morena party, which has deliberately strengthened the CNTE since the 2018 election campaign to secure the electoral support of its members.

Source: G1

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