Protesters packed southern Mexico City on the first day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, drowning out the celebrations with a reminder that behind the spectacle, tens of thousands of families are still searching for their missing loved ones.

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While Mexico's president watched from a street festival, music and sports stars enjoyed the year's biggest sporting event in person at Estadio Azteca.

Why hasn't Popocatépetl had a massively violent eruption for nearly 1,300 years? Because the residents of Santiago Xalitzintla are tasked with keeping the volcano calm.

Capitalinos  — including President Claudia Sheinbaum and Mayor Clara Brugada — crowded into the 18 free Fan Fest sites across the city to watch Javier Aguirre’s team kick off the tournament on Thursday.

City and federal security forces had been preparing all week for an influx of cars and people around Estadio Azteca, but protesters seeking to cause disruption complicated their task.

If they want to eat and drink, box owners will be forced to purchase "hospitality packages" directly from FIFA, which reportedly cost US $75,000 for 12 people for all five World Cup matches at Mexico City Stadium.

The choice of the phrase "in play" (en juego) in reference to human rights was seemingly meant to call attention to how little notice they are getting compared to the World Cup games.

Protesters — who include searching mothers, teachers, retirees, healthcare workers, farmers, anti-gentrification activists and transportation workers — are expected to arrive at the stadium just as the Mexico vs. South Africa match is starting.

The elevated walkway, with 10,000 plants and trees, converts one of the capital's most congested areas into a pleasant diversion for residents and visitors.