Controversy over the 2026 FIFA World Cup – Mexican President Sheinbaum calls the teachers’ protest a provocation

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday called teachers’ protests ahead of the launch of the 2026 World Cup this week a «provocation.»

She called the teachers union’s decision to camp near Mexico City’s central fan zone “inexplicable” and a “provocation – as if to say, ‘Look how bad the situation is in Mexico.’”

Sheinbaum said Thursday’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa is «guaranteed» despite planned protests.

Teachers called for a mass demonstration across Mexico City that will also include families of so-called «disappeared» people, who were allegedly killed or kidnapped by authorities or criminal gangs.

The teachers’ union CNTE has been on strike since last week to demand a salary increase and the rollback of a pension law – which the government considers impossible.

On June 1, police dispersed protesting teachers with rubber bullets and tear gas at metal barricades near the fan zone in Zocalo Square.

“They want to give the impression that there is massive social unrest in Mexico, and that is not true,” Sheinbaum said of the protests.

Published on June 9, 2026