With the World Cup starting tonight at Estadio Azteca, football joy is colliding with political protests, security tensions in Mexico City, widespread ticket-cost anger and US visa disruptions that have even sidelined Somali referee Omar Artan.
When the opening whistle finally sounds this evening, it will come with noise from both directions. At Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Mexico take on South Africa to kick off the tournament that returns like a familiar repeat of the 2010 opening match in South Africa. But hours before the first match. the atmosphere around the host city is already charged by disputes that have nothing to do with tactics.
Mexico City carries a rare kind of pride. The country is the first to host World Cup matches across three separate tournaments, after 1970 and 1986. Yet on matchday eve, that celebration sits beside large-scale protests across the capital. The most visible demonstrations are led by members of the Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educacion. a teachers’ union protesting pay. pensions and labour reforms.
As part of their campaign. thousands have marched and set up what has become known as a ‘tent city’ in the heart of Mexico City. The encampment has been in place for more than a week and sits next to the World Cup fan zone. putting pressure on the very area meant to welcome supporters. Authorities have installed security barriers around the area and increased the police presence.
The teachers’ union says Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum has failed to deliver on promises made to teachers. and that they are using the World Cup to draw attention to their plight and wider issues facing Mexico. Their protest is not the only one catching the tournament’s spotlight: farmers. transport workers and families of missing persons have also used the global attention to highlight their causes. Environmental and human rights groups. including Greenpeace. have staged demonstrations about the environmental impact of a World Cup spanning 16 host cities and three countries.
For some Mexicans, the frustration runs deeper than any one demonstration. Sections of the public are unhappy about the costs tied to co-hosting the tournament while deep-rooted societal and economic issues remain unresolved. Critics argue the event benefits wealthier sections rather than the general population. In that sense, the World Cup has become a focal point for wider grievances around public services, inequality and security.
Even the ticket counters don’t seem to be settling. FIFA has insisted demand remains strong, but ticket prices have become a major point of anger. The Financial Times reported that almost 180,000 group-stage tickets are still available on official resale platforms. It added that around 4. 400 tickets were listed on the platform for the USA’s opening game against Paraguay on Saturday morning (GMT). with the cheapest ticket available directly from FIFA costing $1. 120 (£838.20). The costs don’t stop at the ticket either—travel and accommodation across North America are part of the wider expense. and Curaçao. for example. face a group-stage travel schedule of more than 6. 200 miles.
Security and logistics aren’t the only problems being felt before kick-off. Visa and entry issues have disrupted US access for several people connected to the tournament, including fans, journalists and officials. The most high-profile case involves Somali referee Omar Artan, regarded as one of Africa’s leading officials. Despite being selected for the tournament. Artan was removed from FIFA’s list of referees after American authorities denied him entry upon arrival at Miami International Airport.
An official within the Donald Trump administration claimed this happened due to Artan’s alleged ‘association with suspected members of terror organisations’. Speaking to the New York Times, Artan said: ‘I am very, very disappointed. I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream. the biggest dream of my life. to come to the World Cup.’ Somalia is among the countries included on Trump’s travel ban list. Last month. he described Somali immigrants in the US as ‘all crooks. ‘ after previously labelling the African nation as ‘the worst country in the world’ in January.
The effect goes beyond one individual. The travel restrictions have attracted attention because they also affect qualified nations. Haiti and Iran are subject to full restrictions, while Ivory Coast and Senegal face partial restrictions. The geopolitical pressure has spilled into football in concrete ways: Iraq national team photographer Talal Salah was denied entry to the US. while the Iranian Football Federation claimed its ticket allocation for fans had been revoked. The federation added that some officials were denied visas. and that Iran’s team is now required to enter and leave the US on matchdays. Iran switched their base from Arizona to Mexico shortly before the tournament, disrupting preparations.
Journalists from several countries have reported problems with visas or difficulties in obtaining entry to the US. With all of it accumulating—protests in the host city. cost anger. and border friction—some observers have described this World Cup as the most politically charged in history. even though FIFA has tried to position the tournament as a unifying global event.
Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, has been at the centre of the pushback. Last year he claimed: ‘fans from all over the world will be welcome’. The visa problems, travel restrictions and ticket pricing drew further attention when pressed on them on Wednesday. Defending FIFA’s handling, Infantino argued that immigration decisions rest with governments rather than the governing body. He also backed ticket prices and claimed no-one else would have been able to secure Iran’s participation at the tournament given their conflict with the US.
Infantino urged critics to ‘chill’ and ‘relax’. ‘We don’t live on the moon, we live on planet Earth,’ Infantino said. ‘We have to respect that we are not kings of the world, who can rule over governments and police forces. ’We are a sports organisation that does as much as we can. It’s important sometimes to chill, relax. We work on everything. Sometimes screaming and shouting does not find a solution.’.
Still, the backdrop can’t be ignored. The World Cup will feature 104 matches over the next five-and-a-half weeks. but tonight’s opening fixture—Mexico against South Africa at Estadio Azteca—arrives with the tournament’s biggest stage already surrounded by real-world pressure. Protesters are camping near the fan zone. Ticket availability and pricing are being questioned. US border decisions have already sent a selected official home, and altered preparations for teams and access for others. The football begins tonight. The noise around it is already there.
World Cup 2026 Mexico vs South Africa Estadio Azteca tent city Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educacion Claudia Sheinbaum protests ticket prices resale platforms Financial Times Omar Artan Miami International Airport visa restrictions Gianni Infantino Iran base change Talal Salah