Statues of World Cup players are toppled during teachers' protest in Mexico

Protesters wrote 'if there is no solution, the ball won't roll' during teachers' protests for better salaries in Mexico
REUTERS/Henry Romero
Statues on the ground, burned uniforms, a giant soccer ball in the middle of the street. This Tuesday (2), teachers damaged a World Cup-themed exhibition set up on the largest avenue in Mexico City in protests for better wages and other labor demands.
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The demonstration was called by a dissident group from the National Coordination of Education Workers (CNTE) union, which threatened to organize mass mobilizations during the opening of the 2026 World Cup, in nine days.
The five-meter-high statues were installed on Avenida de la Reforma and represented players from the participating countries. Using ropes, protesters tore down the structures, removed their uniforms and set them on fire.
Protesters toppled statues from Belgium, France and Spain. One of them, wearing Mexico's green uniform, remained standing.
"The CNTE lives," they wrote in red graffiti on one of the sculptures. "If there is no solution, the ball won't roll", read another.
People walk near the fallen statue of a football player in Mexico, on June 2, 2026
REUTERS/Henry Romero
Protesters blocked lanes of the avenue and complicated the already chaotic traffic in the Mexican capital. This time, the police did not intervene to restrain the teachers. On Monday (1st), tear gas was used.
The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, called the protests peaceful. The government also issued a statement calling for a return to the negotiating table.
The CNTE demands higher salaries and the repeal of a social security law. Furthermore, it rejects a 9% salary increase agreed between the union's official leadership and the government.
"If [Sheinbaum] calls it a crime to take down statues, what will she call the removal of our rights? We need to be coherent," said Juan Pablo de la Cruz, a 44-year-old teacher with two decades of experience.
A player's statue was toppled by protesters in Mexico
REUTERS/Henry Romero
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