Chaos erupts outside Mexico City World Cup stadium

The opening game of the 2026 World Cup has been marred by violence after protesters fought with riot police outside the Mexico City Stadium.

As the festivities got underway inside the iconic 87,000-seater venue – usually named the Estadio Azteca – there were more unsavory scenes taking place just outside the gates.

The Daily Mail witnessed the carnage unfold, as protesters – some reportedly made up of the families of those missing in the Mexican drug war – attempted to breach the stadium and were forcibly pushed back by police. A man had a heart attack outside the venue in an unrelated incident.

Just 10 minutes before the start of the Mexico-South Africa tournament opener, hundreds of demonstrators approached the grounds from the north-east side, attempting to enter the stadium’s inner ring.

They threw flares and rocks at officers and smashed a lorry parked nearby. Riot police were quickly deployed and pushed the demonstrators back up the road, firing tear gas and throwing rocks back in the process.

The Secretariat of Citizen Security of Mexico City (SSC) later confirmed that there were two groups of around 800 protesters, from which nearly 200 hooded individuals broke away. Approximately 300 police officers were deployed, as well as a mounted unit, to disperse the protesters. 

Protesters attempt to breach the Mexico City Stadium but are stopped by a line of riot police

A demonstrator waves a stick in front of riot police during violent scenes outside the stadium

A police chief gives information to lines of riot police blocking protesters from getting past

Inside the stadium, the contrast was stark as Mexico scored an early goal in the opening game

As the carnage unfolded outside, cheering could be heard inside the stadium, in stark contrast, as the opening game got underway. 

Elsewhere, widely shared clips online showed a man receiving CPR from a group of medics after he became unwell on his way to watch the game inside the stadium.

The SSC later reported that the patient was taken to hospital and is in a stable condition.

After the game had kicked off and the initial violence outside had been quelled, lines of riot police were lined up inside the gates to protect the stadium.

An extra border of security was set up and the Daily Mail witnessed a police woman slipping in and out of consciousness as she was taken away with a bleeding gash on her head.

Ahead of the opening game, it was reported that eight simultaneous protests had been planned around Mexico City, purposely coinciding with the start of the World Cup.

Per multiple reports, the groups expected to mobilize included heartbroken families of those affected by the ongoing drug war between the cartels and law enforcement, the CNTE [teachers’ union], Federal Judiciary workers, transport workers, healthcare workers, and farmers’ organizations.

There was a heavy police presence around the stadium as officers anticipated unrest and sought to shut it down quickly.

Carnage erupted outside the Mexico City Stadium as protesters fought with riot police

The unsavory scenes unfolded as the first game of the World Cup kicked off just meters away

The opening ceremony took place inside the stadium without interruption earlier on Thursday

When the violence unfolded, four metro stops were immediately closed, while protesters knocked down multiple guardrails outside the stadium.

Clara Brugada Molina, the head of government of Mexico City, had earlier made no attempt to stop the protests, claiming that ‘this is a city where these events can coincide’, referencing the planned demonstrations.

‘There is a right to protest as well as to experience the joy of living a World Cup,’ she said, per MVS Noticias.

Inside the stadium, the World Cup got off to a flying start with an opening ceremony headlined by Shakira, before the team itself scored inside the opening ten minutes of the game.

Mexico went on to win the Group A game 2-0, while there were three red cards – two to South Africa and one to Mexico.