Mexico City Implements Remote‑Work and School Closures Ahead of 2026 World Cup Opening

Mexico City authorities issued a decree ordering all public‑sector employees to work from home and suspending classes at every public and private school on the day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening match. President Claudia Sheinbaum urged private firms to adopt flexible or remote arrangements to minimise traffic congestion and ensure safe travel for residents and tourists.

At the same time, streets in the historic centre remain blocked by a coalition of protest groups, including teachers' unions, pension‑rights activists, families of the 2014 Ayotzinapa victims, animal‑rights advocates and farmers. Demonstrators have set up tents, erected barriers and repeatedly clashed with police on major arteries such as Paseo de la Reforma and Insurgentes. Their demands range from salary increases and education‑policy reforms to pension improvements and the removal of a controversial pension law. Tensions flare where protest routes intersect the Fan Fest area around Zócalo. Officials warned that protests could continue through the opening match between Mexico and South Africa.