Article by Romeo Ene – Published Thursday, June 11, 2026 10:15 p.m. / Updated Thursday, June 11, 2026 10:17 p.m.
The start of the 2026 World Cup was overshadowed by incidents in Mexico City, where altercations broke out near the official supporter area shortly before opening match between Mexico and South Africa.
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The Mexico – South Africa match is broadcast on Antena 1 TV and can be watched on GSP.ro liveTEXT, with images and information from the Gazeta team present on the spot
Thousands of supporters tried to get to the Zocalo Square to watch the match, but access was made difficult by the security measures imposed by the authorities. In a short time, the atmosphere became tense, and the situation degenerated into chaos.
VIDEO | Fans fought with law enforcement
🔴 Portazo en el Fan Fest del Zócalo de la Ciudad de México, minutes antes de la inauguration del Mundial.
📹: Aurea del Rosario pic.twitter.com/M3nz2Hyeow
— LuisCardenasMX (@LuisCardenasMx) June 11, 2026
Access to the fan zone was made difficult by the metal barriers placed by the authorities, in the context of fears of protests organized by factions of the Teachers' Union, according to sport.sk.
Law enforcement tried to calm the crowd and appealed to supporters to avoid the stampede.
“Stop pushing and shoving. There are children here too, don't be like the animals,” a law enforcement official said over the megaphone. Tensions escalated when some of the supporters started throwing water bottles at the police and insulting them.
“It's crazy! The organization should be much better”, said Javier Maciel, a 25-year-old Mexican supporter, quoted by AFP.
The young man came to the fan zone dressed in a poncho and carrying the Mexican flag, but expressed his dissatisfaction with the way the flow of spectators was managed before the opening match of the competition.
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Mexico and South Africa are in Group A, along with the Czech Republic and South Korea.
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Mexico has 17 finals appearances and has only finished in the top eight twice, always as hosts, in 1970 and 1986. It has now officially qualified as the host nation.
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The 2026 edition will be the fourth participation in the World Cup for the “Bafana Bafana” national team. South Africa finished the qualifiers top of the group and condemned Nigeria to the play-offs, also ahead of Benin, Lesotho, Rwana and Zimbabwe.
Ranking in group A from the World Championship
