Mexico promises peaceful World Cup opening despite protests
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday said she could guarantee a peaceful World Cup opening ceremony this week, despite concern over ongoing teacher protests.
“We are going to guarantee… that the celebration of the World Cup is well-executed, in peace and tranquility,” she said in her daily press conference.
A teachers union has threatened protests at Thursday’s opening game between Mexico and South Africa in the capital if the government doesn’t respond to demands for salary raises and pension reforms.
On June 1, police dispersed protesters with teargas and rubber bullets outside the historic Zocalo square where authorities have erected a massive screen for a World Cup fan zone.
The streets surrounding the square remain closed off with metal barricades, which Sheinbaum has said are meant to guard against “provocations.”
Protesting teachers also toppled commemorative statues of players in downtown Mexico City last week.-AFP
Follow our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
Mexico City suspends classes, shifts to remote work for World Cup kickoff
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum yesterday issued a decree ordering federal workers in the capital to work from home on June 11 and suspending school classes to ease traffic during FIFA World Cup opening events.
The decree aims to improve urban mobility and road safety as Mexico City hosts the World Cup opening match and accompanying events on June 11.
The opening events are expected to draw significant numbers of visitors.
Federal agencies must implement remote work schemes for Mexico City-based staff, with exceptions for essential services including healthcare, security, critical infrastructure and World Cup operations.
Schools from preschool through university, both public and private, will close for the day under the decree.
The government also urged private companies to adopt similar remote work arrangements.
Platini begins legal proceedings against FIFA
Former UEFA president Michel Platini has launched civil and legal proceedings against FIFA and current president Gianni Infantino over corruption allegations from 2015 which he says derailed his bid to lead the governing body.
The criminal complaint, filed in the French courts, accuses Infantino and two former FIFA officials, legal director Marco Villiger and audit committee chair Domenico Scala, of malicious prosecution.
In a separate civil lawsuit, Platini, 70, is seeking financial compensation from FIFA over alleged efforts to block his election as FIFA president.
Former France captain Platini was Uefa president from 2008 to 2015 and had been the favourite to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in 2016.
However, in 2015 the pair became embroiled in allegations of fraud and corruption over a payment of 2m Swiss francs (£1.6m) made to Platini in 2011, which, it had been claimed, was authorised by Blatter.
It led Blatter to resign from his role and ended Platini’s hopes of becoming head of FIFA, with the Frenchman also banned for eight years by FIFA’s ethics committee, a sanction later reduced to four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Both Platini and Blatter subsequently faced criminal charges but were cleared of corruption in a Swiss federal criminal appeals court in March 2025.
Infantino, general secretary of UEFA under Platini, replaced Blatter as FIFA president.-
CAPTION
Michel Platini
Tickets for Iran fans revoked, says federation
Iran’s allocation of fan tickets for the group stage of the World Cup has been revoked just days before the start of the tournament, says the country’s football federation.
The World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, begins tomorrow, with Iran scheduled to play New Zealand on 15 June and Belgium on 21 June, both in Los Angeles, before facing Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.
Iran’s governing body says FIFA regulations state each federation involved in the World Cup receives 8 per cent of the tickets for each of their matches, to distribute to supporters.
It added that it had already begun selling tickets but can no longer provide them to fans, some of whom have already made travel arrangements.
“Depriving Iranian supporters of access to their lawful and official allocation of tickets is an action contrary to the spirit of governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries,” the FFIRI statement said.
“This development raises serious questions about the interference of non-sporting and political considerations in the organisation of the world’s biggest football event.”
The FFIRI also called on FIFA “to uphold the principles of neutrality, fairness, and established regulations”.
Iran’s involvement in the World Cup has been plagued with uncertainty, linked to the ongoing war in the Middle East and related security concerns.
On 25 May, Iran moved their training base from Tucson, Arizona to the Mexican city of Tijuana, claiming the US were unwilling to host them.
Under the conditions of their visas, they will have to fly in and out of the United States on matchday for each of their three group games.
Less than a fortnight later, on 6 June, they accused the US of denying visas to “integral” members of the national team’s backroom staff, with 15 administrative officials denied entry.
The FFIRI had previously presented FIFA with a list of 10 conditions for their participation in the World Cup, including allowing players, coaches and officials who have completed military service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said Iran’s players will be welcome at the tournament but individuals with links to the IRGC could face entry restrictions.
Iran were the only country not present at FIFA’s annual congress in Vancouver in April after a delegation of FFIRI officials, including president Medhi Taj, were turned away at the Canadian border.-BBC
CAPTION
Iran are playing at the World Cup for the seventh time after coming through Asian Football Confederation qualifying
