Families of the disappeared confront police cordon at Mexico City stadium before World Cup opening

On the night of 11 June 2026, thousands of demonstrators – many families of the estimated 133,000 missing persons in Mexico – marched toward Estadio Azteca in Ciudad de México to draw attention to the disappearance crisis ahead of the World Cup 2026 inauguration. The protesters carried banners reading “México campeón en desaparición” and “Porque vivos se los llevaron, vivos los queremos”, and wore jerseys with the faces of their missing loved ones. Police deployed a heavy cordon of trucks and officers, preventing access to the stadium. Some families attempted to breach the barrier; several climbed over trucks before ultimately conducting a memorial vigil in front of the fences.

Mothers voiced their frustration, saying “Queremos que el mundo se entere que tenemos muchos desaparecidos y se invierten (recursos) en otras cosas…” and “Hoy el Estado nos demuestra que sí tiene los policías para encontrar a los desaparecidos, pero decide proteger a los extranjeros”. Government officials, including Ciudad de México secretary of government César Cravioto, tried to negotiate with the marchers. The United Nations Committee against Enforced Disappearances is seeking to bring Mexico’s missing‑persons crisis before the UN General Assembly.

In a related incident, police from the Secretaría de Seguridad Ciudadana detained a protester identified as Priscila Saavedra near the stadium, sparking additional tension among demonstrators who demanded clarification of the arrest.