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Thousands of demonstrators blocked an avenue leading to Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on Tuesday, just days before the 2026 World Cup kicks off at the venue.

As football fans flood into tournament co-hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico, the Central American country is grappling with chaotic teacher protests in its capital.

Thousands of teachers blocked an avenue leading to the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, 48 hours before the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup at that venue.

Tuesday’s protest, led by a breakaway group of the CNTE teachers union, follows a week of demonstrations that President Claudia Sheinbaum has called a “provocation.”

“As if to say, ‘Look at how bad the situation is in Mexico,’” she told a press conference.

The Azteca stadium will host the World Cup’s first game – pitting Mexico against South Africa – on Thursday, with a vast global TV audience set to tune in for the opening ceremony and the match.

Authorities have deployed thousands of officers and set up concrete barriers surrounding the venue to block protests.

“We intend to reach the stadium,” demonstrator Angel Villalobos told AFP on Tuesday. “The government has given some responses, but they don’t help, they don’t satisfy.”

Sheinbaum said earlier that the opening match was “guaranteed,” though the left-leaning leader again ruled out using police to repress the demonstrations.

Her government has favored dialogue with the protesting teachers, but to no avail.

“We’re going to continue our struggle,” said Austreberto Flores, another protester looking to block Azteca Stadium.

The CNTE teachers union has been on strike since last week to demand a salary raise and the reversal of a pension law — which the government considers unfeasible.

The teachers have also set up camp near the World Cup fan zone in Mexico City’s Zocalo square.

On June 1, police dispersed protesters in the area with rubber bullets and teargas.

“They want to make it seem like there is mass social turmoil in Mexico, and that’s not true,” Sheinbaum has said of the protests.

The teachers have called for demonstrations on Thursday that will also include families of so-called “disappeared” people, who are alleged to have been killed or kidnapped by Mexican authorities or criminal gangs.

The 2026 edition of the world’s biggest football extravaganza is the most logistically complex ever staged.

Mexico is still rushing to complete renovations at subway stations and at its main airport ahead of the tournament.

AFP

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Age will be more than just a number at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as several football icons aged 40 and above prepare to grace the sport’s biggest stage once again.

The tournament, scheduled to take place across the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, will feature a remarkable group of veteran players whose careers have defied expectations and whose influence continues to shape their national teams.

Leading the list is Portugal captain Christiano Ronaldo, who at 41 is on course to make history by becoming the first footballer to feature in six FIFA World Cup tournaments. The legendary forward remains a key figure for Portugal and will be looking to add another chapter to his illustrious international career.

Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon is expected to be the oldest player at the competition. At 43 years and 162 days, the veteran shot-stopper continues to demonstrate remarkable longevity, earning another opportunity to represent his country on football’s biggest stage.

Croatia’s midfield maestro, Luka Modric will also be among the tournament’s senior statesmen. Now 40, the former Ballon d’Or winner remains one of Croatia’s most influential players and will be aiming to inspire his country to another memorable World Cup campaign.

Germany will once again rely on the experience of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. At 40 years old, the former World Cup winner continues to be a commanding presence between the posts and is expected to play a crucial role for the German national team.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina’s veteran striker, Edin Dzeko is also set for the global showpiece. The 40-year-old forward remains one of his country’s most dependable attacking options and is expected to lead the line once again.

Host nation Mexico could see another World Cup appearance from legendary goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. At 40, Ochoa is poised to become one of the few players in football history to participate in six World Cup tournaments, further cementing his place among the game’s enduring greats.

Completing the list is Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, who is expected to be part of his country’s squad as the island nation prepares for what could be a historic first appearance at the FIFA World Cup.

The presence of these veteran stars highlights the growing longevity of modern footballers, many of whom continue to perform at the highest level well into their forties. Their experience, leadership and quality are expected to play vital roles as their respective nations chase success at the biggest football tournament in the world.

As the countdown to kick-off continues, fans will not only be watching the sport’s emerging talents but also celebrating a generation of players whose careers have stood the test of time.

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Iran’s national soccer team arrived in Tijuana early on Sunday ahead of three World Cup matches in the United States, amid tensions that have turned the world’s biggest sporting event into a soft-power contest between the warring countries.

The squad touched down shortly after 5 am (1200 GMT) ​in the Mexican city, across the border from San Diego, after an overnight flight from Turkey where they have been training for the past three weeks.

As the ‌team’s bus pulled away from Tijuana airport, it paused briefly so members of the federation could wave to about 20 fans holding Iranian flags. A cordon of military and police escorted the team from the airport to their hotel.

Soccer is virtually a religion in Iran, a national pastime beloved by people across the political spectrum. But for Iran’s team, the tournament has been marred by fraught politics at home, the war with the ​U.S., and tensions over whether they would actually be able to set foot on U.S. soil to play their games.

Even their presence in Tijuana is politically tinged. The Iranian ​federation negotiated at the last minute to move the team’s base camp from Arizona to Mexico, due to uncertainty over whether they would ⁠be granted visas and a growing feeling in Iran that the squad’s presence in the U.S. should be kept to a minimum, Iran’s ambassador in Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, told Reuters.

Iran’s coach Amir ​Ghalenoei told FIFA that the team ideally would have arrived in Tijuana last week in order to adapt to the time difference.

“Normally, in tournaments like this, humanitarian and ethical considerations should come ​before technical matters, and I believe those considerations were not extended to us,” he said after arriving at Tijuana airport.

Iranian defender Ehsan Hajsafi said the team has suffered “very difficult circumstances” since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February but that the players are in excellent physical condition and “fully ready” for the tournament.

Iran are scheduled to play their first two Group G games near Los Angeles, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium ​on June 21, and then face Egypt in Seattle on June 26. Iran and the U.S. could meet in the round of 32 if both teams come second in their groups.

PRESSURE ​ON PLAYERS

This is the first World Cup since its inception in 1930 in which a host nation is set to receive a country it is at war with.

But the U.S. tensions are just one of ‌several factors that ⁠have turned the World Cup into a political battleground for the Iranian team.

Widespread protests that erupted late last year, calling for an end to clerical rule, culminated in a sweeping crackdown that killed more than 2,000 people in the deadliest unrest since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. The U.S. and Israel then attacked Iran on February 28, sparking a months-long war that continues.

Iran’s soccer team were under pressure from all sides, said Abbas Milani, director of Iranian studies at Stanford University.

“It has become a lose-lose for the players,” Milani said. “There are pressures on players not to play ​with the team, pressure to show comity with ​the people, and the athletes are just ⁠there to play soccer,” he said.

During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Iran’s team were both cheered and jeered after refusing to sing the national anthem, which was viewed as an act of solidarity with anti-government protesters back home. Since then, the pressures on the team had only ​increased, Milani said.

VISA DRAMA

After weeks of uncertainty, the U.S. awarded visas to all the players on Friday, just 10 days before their first ​match.

But several members of the ⁠Iranian squad were not given visas, including “key managerial and administrative members,” according to Iran’s football federation, which accused the U.S. of breaching its host obligations and violating FIFA regulations.

Pasandideh, the Iranian ambassador, said 15 of the 70 members of the party who arrived in Tijuana on Sunday had not been given visas to enter the U.S.

FIFA did not respond to a request for comment about the ⁠dispute.

An official with ​the U.S. State Department told Reuters on Friday that the administration had issued “the visas necessary for Iran to compete ​in the World Cup, including for athletes and necessary support staff.” The official added: “We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the U.S. under false pretenses.”

Tonatiuh Guillen, who ran Mexico’s national immigration ​agency between 2018 and 2019, said Mexico’s willingness to host the Iran squad is a message of “solidarity at a moment of emergency.”