FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony Protest LIVE: Mexico and South Africa game to kick off amid teacher protests

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FIFA Opening Ceremony Protest LIVE: Large crowds formed outside the stadium, creating long queues as fans waited to enter the first venue in history to host matches at three different World Cups. Inside, thousands of spectators joined together in song ahead of kickoff between Mexico & South Africa.

Game to kick off amid teacher protests (AP Photo)

FIFA Opening Ceremony Protest LIVE: As Mexico City geared up to host the opening match of the World Cup on Thursday, the atmosphere around the iconic Estadio Azteca was electric, with mariachi music, blaring trumpets and waves of supporters dressed in dark green filling the area despite protests taking place across the capital.

Large crowds formed outside the stadium, creating long queues as fans waited to enter the first venue in history to host matches at three different World Cups. Inside, thousands of spectators joined together in song ahead of kickoff between Mexico and South Africa, according to Reuters.

Among them was 50-year-old Alejandro Garcia, who wore a sombrero and carried a replica World Cup trophy. He said he felt proud to see Mexico host the tournament once again, recalling that he was just a child when the country last staged the event in 1986.

What time is the FIFA opening ceremony?

The FIFA World Cup opening ceremony on June 11 takes place in Mexico City and begins at 1:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. CT, 10:30 a.m. PT). For viewers in India, the first FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico to begin at 11:00 PM IST.

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Protests cast shadow over World Cup opening ceremony — here's why

The tournament is taking place against a backdrop of growing unrest in Mexico. In recent weeks, demonstrators have staged protests across the country, with some previously blocking access to a central plaza in Mexico City that is set to host major fan events during the World Cup.

Claudia Sheinbaum has faced criticism over her administration's expenditure on the tournament, while ongoing political controversies have further fueled public discontent. Meanwhile, members of the country's teachers' union have, for more than a week, vandalised and removed World Cup-themed statues as part of their demonstrations.

Many protesters argue that the government should prioritise pressing national concerns, including the issue of thousands of missing persons, rather than focusing significant resources on hosting the global sporting event.

About the Author

Garvit Bhirani

Garvit Bhirani is a journalist based in Gurugram. He is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint, where he covers national and international news stories, focusing on accuracy and compelling storytelling for readers. With a total of six years of experience in journalism, he has previously worked with Vaco Binary Semantics for Google, taking on the role of news curation lead, and reported from the field on health, education, and agriculture stories for 101reporters and News9. He has also served as a content editor for entertainment and news media organisations. Garvit holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Gurugram University, respectively. During college days, he joined India’s only non-profit student journalism network, where he anchored daily news updates and produced his own weekly show called ‘Data Fix’. He was selected for the YES Foundation Media for Social Change Fellowship in Delhi, the Talking Data to the Fourth Pillar residential workshop, and the VOICE Fellowship in Pune. He holds certificates in COVID-19-verification reporting, data journalism, food & agriculture, tech policy, media literacy and countering misinformation, and tackling election disinformation courses from Thomson Foundation, IndiaSpend, The Dialogue, US Mission in India, and AFP. He can be reached on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garvit-bhirani">LinkedIn</a> or on <a href="https://x.com/GarvitBhirani">@garvitbhirani</a> on X

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