Mexico, which is jointly hosting the soccer tournament with the United States and Canada, is set to kick off the festivities on Thursday with an inaugural and opening match in a star-studded event that will set the tone for the rest of the competition.
The World Cup comes at a time when Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is walking a political tightrope. Deteriorating relations with America In the lead up to July trade talks, political scams And security concerns Following violence in a host city in February.
The pressure is increasing with the arrival of guests Mexico CityAnd the government has faced criticism from protesters and residents who say authorities have prioritized competition over vital social needs in the Latin American nation.
“Mexico wants to present an image to the world that does not match reality,” said Carlos Pérez Ricart, a Mexican political analyst at the Mexican Center for Research and Economic Education. “The World Cup is putting the President in an unsafe position… The government is under extreme pressure.”
World Cup celebrations have begun
The FIFA logo, bright orange Mexican marigolds, giant soccer balls and other sports decorations line the streets in Mexico’s capital and two other host cities, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Soccer fans were filled with excitement as they walked the streets of Mexico City, taking photos in front of the most famous monuments painted in their teams’ colors.
According to the Mexican Soccer Federation, the sporting event is expected to bring in $3 billion for hotels, restaurants and sports venues.
Thursday’s opening and opening match, where Mexico faces South Africa, is expected to attract more attention than the competition itself, with Colombian superstar Shakira and several others set to perform.
If everything goes off without a hitch, it will be an accomplishment for Sheinbaum, Pérez Ricart said, showing the world that Mexico “is modern and capable of holding high-impact events.”
Protests continue in Mexico City
After days of violence, Mexican authorities have tightened security for months in an effort to address concerns World Cup host city Guadalajara is in chaos in February.
More than 100,000 soldiers, sailors, National Guard members and police officers are expected to be deployed in the three cities hosting the matches, yet weeks of rising social tensions have posed the biggest hurdle, particularly in Mexico City.
Critics in Mexico say the government has spent too much money and time Providing catering to international visitors at the expense of residents.
For more than a week, the country’s teachers union has blocked streets and toppled World Cup statues in an annual effort to win better working conditions. family of More than 130,000 people are missing in Mexico They have hung flyers for missing loved ones and said authorities should focus their energy on dealing with the humanitarian crisis that has struck other parts of Mexico.
“We’re not against ball games,” said Luis Antonio Rosales Narvaez, a protest organizer. But “they should be investing in education…not transforming the city.”
On Tuesday, Sheinbaum rejected the criticism and denied that there was any social unrest ahead of the tournament.
“The political opposition wants to give the impression that right in the middle of this international event that we have been preparing for a long time, there is chaos, that there are problems,” Sheinbaum said at his morning press conference on Tuesday.
Police have largely prevented large-scale protests from taking over the main plaza and the area outside the stadium, but it is unclear what will happen on the day of the games and during the month after the games.
Excitement clashes with criticism
Airports across America were filled with fans who had shelled out money to follow their teams. Panama City’s airport – one of the main gateways between North and South America – was a sea of multicolored jerseys from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Germany and other countries.
“This year we are defending the title, and we will follow Argentina to the ends of the earth,” shouted Emilio Sosa, 29, who was visiting Los Angeles from Buenos Aires.
Colombian David Botero, 43, had planned his vacation around the World Cup, and was traveling to Mexico City with his family to watch Colombia’s opening match against Uzbekistan on June 17 after changing his plans to avoid high prices in Miami.
“The important thing is that we will get a chance to see our team up close,” Botero said.
Others, like Dr. Jose Luis Muñoz, 66, took a more skeptical tone as he read and smoked a cigarette next to a park in downtown Mexico City that was once filled with street vendors cleared out by authorities in an effort to clean up the streets.
Munoz said some of her fondest memories were taking her 8-, 12- and 14-year-old children to games during the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and celebrating their home team as it went on a winning streak.
“I was very excited and I passed that happiness on to my children,” he said.
However, this year, they were denied access to the games, where tickets cost hundreds of dollars.
Munoz said, “The prices are sky-high. A lot of people won’t be able to go unless they are foreigners with a lot of money.” “It seems very discriminatory.”
Still, he said, he will work out for the Mexico national team from home with his children and grandchildren.
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Associated Press journalists Naira Batske and Maria Verza contributed to this report from Mexico City.
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