12.06.2026 01:00
In Mexico, where the World Cup opening ceremony took place, the area outside the Azteca Stadium witnessed bloody clashes. During a protest by families who lost their children due to cartel violence, security barriers were breached; stones and Molotov cocktails were thrown at police. The chaotic moments, where police intervened with fire extinguishers and a female officer was seriously injured, brought the tragedy of over 130,000 people disappeared due to drug cartels back to the global agenda.
During the opening match of the World Cup hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, the area outside the Azteca Stadium turned into a battlefield. A protest initiated by grieving mothers searching for their missing children in the country escalated into clashes with riot police. In the incidents where protesters attacked with Molotov cocktails and stones, a female police officer was seriously injured.
The iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico, where the heart of the football world beats, witnessed not only sports but also a great human drama and violent events on the opening day of the tournament. While thousands of fans flocked to the stadium for the opening ceremony, widespread security measures and road closures outside could not prevent the protests.
BARRIERS DESTROYED DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
As the tournament's opening ceremony began, the agitated crowd went almost berserk when the national anthem started playing in the stadium. Violent clashes broke out between protesters who breached security barriers and armed riot police along with mounted police units.
As the scene quickly descended into chaos, demonstrators threw stones, bananas, orange blossom bouquets, and Molotov cocktails at police and horses. During the ugly clash, in which flames rose very close to the horses, a female police officer was seriously injured, bleeding profusely after being hit in the head. Security forces used fire extinguishers against the protesters to disperse the crowd.
"THE BALL IS COMING HOME, BUT WHEN WILL YOU?"
At the heart of the protest was a heartbreaking crowd: relatives and mothers who suspect their children were killed by drug cartels and have long been unable to get news of their missing loved ones.
About 400 family members, who had been trying to make their voices heard throughout the week, marched by blocking the main road leading to the stadium.
The grieving families, holding posters of their missing children, carried a banner that left a mark on the tournament:
"The ball is coming home, but when will you come home?"
OVER 130,000 MISSING IN MEXICO
Families of missing persons demand that authorities take more concrete and decisive steps to find their loved ones. According to unofficial estimates and painful data, it is stated that more than 130,000 people have disappeared to date in Mexico due to the spiral of violence and bloody conflicts created by drug cartels.