Mexico's missing persons crisis highlighted during World Cup

Norma Laguna’s 19‑year‑old daughter, Idaly Juache, vanished in 2010 while playing soccer in Ciudad Juárez. Two years later a fragment of her skull was recovered in a riverbed, confirming her death but offering little comfort. Laguna keeps her orange jersey and joins the nationwide network of "madres buscadoras" demanding answers.

Mexico now records over 135,000 enforced disappearances, a figure that has surged since the 2006 drug‑war crackdown. Families, including Laguna’s, used the opening of the 2026 World Cup to protest, seeking international attention. Search groups such as Las Escarabajos continue on tips, recently uncovering bodies at an old ranch in Zacatecas. While the government says assisting the mothers is a priority, relatives criticize bureaucratic delays and insufficient financial support. A UN committee on enforced disappearances has called for stronger action.