México da inicio al Mundial 2026 bajo una fuerte tensión social que amenaza con ensombrecer la inauguración del torneo con protestas de maestros, agricultores y familiares de desaparecidos.

“Está todo bajo control”, dijo la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum, que planea en principio ver el partido entre la selección de México y Sudáfrica en el “Fan Fest” levantado en la tradicional plaza del Zócalo, en el centro histórico de la Ciudad de México.

Pero el control no está totalmente garantizado. Hasta allí, y a las mismas inmediaciones del estadio Azteca, prometen llevar sus protestas los maestros de un gremio disidente, campesinos en lucha y familiares de miles de desaparecidos por la ola de violencia que sacudió el país en las últimas décadas.

La situación es tan tensa que la propia mandataria dijo que, si las manifestaciones impiden utilizar la plaza para la transmisión en directo del partido inaugural, se prevén sedes alternativas en la capital.

“Si por alguna razón no se puede (usar) para el día de la inauguración el Zócalo, hay 18 sedes en la Ciudad de México que fueron planeadas con tiempo. Ya tomaré la decisión en su momento si lo vemos aquí o salgo a alguna de las 18 sedes”, dijo.

Sheinbaum no estará en el estadio para presenciar la inauguración del torneo. Sus detractores dicen que tiene miedo a recibir una silbatina generalizada como le sucedió el entonces presidente Miguel de la Madrid en la Copa de 1986. Pero las encuestas de popularidad dicen lo contrario. Su imagen positiva llega al 65,5%, según un sondeo de CB Global Data. En la región solo la supera el salvadoreño Nayib Bukele.

“No hemos renunciado a llegar al estadio”

Los maestros del gremio disidente Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (CNTE) están en huelga desde hace una semana. Exigen un aumento salarial y la derogación de una ley de pensiones que consideran desfavorable.

En las últimas semanas realizaron varias protestas y movilizaciones, que incluyeron bloqueos de calles y la vandalización de estatuas de futbolistas de distintas selecciones que adornadan el tradicional Paseo de la Reforma bajo el espíritu de la Copa del Mundo.

Las estatuas terminaron en el suelo, rotas y con sus uniformes quemados en hogueras improvisadas. El martes miles de maestros bloquearon una avenida que conduce al estadio Azteca, donde este jueves se realizará la ceremonia inaugural del Mundial y poco después, a las 16:00 horas de la Argentina, jugarán México vs. Sudáfrica en el arranque del torneo.

Los docentes intentaron llegar al estadio, pero fueron bloqueados por la policía. En medio de forcejeos y algunos incidentes, volvieron a su compamento levantado en inmediaciones de la Plaza del Zócalo.

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Sheinbaum viene acusando a la ultraderecha por este estado de agitación. Hay una provocación para mostrar que hay caos en México. Eso no es cierto, está montado”, dijo la presidenta. Según advirtió, estos sectores buscan forzar una represión en pleno Mundial.

Pero desde la oposición advierten que la situación puede ensombrecer la Copa del Mundo. “Lo que esto nos muestra es una situacion de peligrosa ingobernabilidad y eso va a poner en riesgo el correcto desarrollo de la Copa Mundial. Eso se ha debido a las torpezas y los incumplimientos de los gobiernos de Morena”, el partido oficialista fundado por el expresidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador, dijo a TN el analista y exdiputado de Acción Nacional, Fernando Rodríguez Doval.

¿Qué puede pasar en la ceremonia inaugural?

La mayor preocupación de las fuerzas de seguridad es garantizar este jueves que los accesos a la cancha estén libres para permitir el ingreso del público.

“Se va a llegar al estadio y va a ser una muy buena inauguración. No hay problema, todos los que tienen boleto van a llegar”, dijo Sheinbaum.

Los periodistas acreditados ya fueron advertidos. La FIFA les recomendó salir muy temprano rumbo al Azteca, cinco horas antes del comienzo de la ceremonia, para evitar contratiempos y sortear cualquier movilización y protesta.

Los maestros tienen un plan. “No hemos renunciado a llegar al estadio”, dijo un vocero de los docentes en lucha.

Pero no estarán solos. También saldrán a las calles familiares de personas desaparecidas, liderados por las madres que buscan a sus hijos y los padres de los 43 estudiantes de Ayotzinapa, secuestrados y desaparecidos el 26 de septiembre de 2014 en Iguala, estado de Guerrero, sur del país, en un caso que sacudió al país.

En el monumento conocido como el Ángel de la Independencia alguien colgó en los últimos días una pancarta en memoria de los de los “133.000 desaparecidos” por la violencia narco.

También estarán agricultores que presionan por un aumento en los precios del maíz en alianza con transportistas, víctimas de la inseguridad en las rutas nacionales.

“Seremos miles de docentes, las madres que buscan a sus hijos, los padres de Ayotzinapa, los agricultores que presionan por precios justos a sus productos, los transportistas que se quejan de la inseguridad y el alza del precio de la gasolina. Se va a juntar muchísima inconformidad”, dijo a TN el dirigente Pedro Hernández Morales, secretario general de la seccion 9 del Distrito Federal del gremio docente CNTE.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is standing firmly behind his fellow democratic socialist and candidate for U.S. Congress Darializa Avila Chevalier, despite vile deleted social media posts that recently resurfaced.

Avila Chevalier, 32, a longtime community organizer who led the anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, slammed the United States, the Democratic Party, private property, police, borders and called to nationalize large swaths of the private sector in the now-deleted posts from 2018 to 2022.

She is running a heated race to oust five-term incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., in the state’s 13th congressional district, which encompasses Upper Manhattan and parts of the west Bronx.

In a 2021 repost, Avila Chevalier said that abolishing borders, prisons and police is «possible, necessary, and the only moral way forward,» and later echoed posts that said «all deportation is wrong» and, «Yes, literally abolish the border,» according to one report.

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«This country is a f—–g disgrace,» she said in a post.

«I forgot to get napkins so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me,» she reportedly said in yet another.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani attends the 2025 New York City Pride March on June 29, 2025 in New York City. (Noam Galai/Getty Images)

She reportedly called former President Joe Biden a «rapist» and «war criminal,» chastised Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for his «liberal Zionism,» and said «F–k Kamala Harris.»

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Avila Chevalier demanded the government provide $3,000 per month in universal basic income, nationalizing utilities, pharmaceutical companies and hospitals, suspending mortgages and rent, seizing private property from landlords, dissolving insurance companies and expanding Medicare to every citizen.

None of these past posts deterred Mamdani from supporting his fellow socialist when asked in a Wednesday news conference.

«When it comes to Darializa’s campaign, I had not seen those tweets and what I’ve heard from her and what I know a lot of others in the district that have heard from her is that her views have evolved and that the campaign she is running on is reflective of what she’s going to be fighting for,» Mamdani said.

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«And frankly, when I see a candidate who has a record like she does of freeing New Yorkers who are unjustly detained by ICE, of standing up for the working person who has often been left out of our politics, especially in a district that has so many of the same themes that we’re speaking of today — a fear of displacement, a fear of being pushed out of a place you helped to build — I think that she would be an incredible champion for that district and for the city as a whole,» he continued.

People participate in a «Climate Justice Means Free Palestine» rally outside Citibank headquarters in New York City on June 18, 2024. Protesters carried pro-Palestinian signs and climate justice messaging during the demonstration. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Mamdani first endorsed Avila Chevalier in late May.

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«She grew up with a commitment to the very people that politics have left behind, and what I see in her is that commitment fulfilled,» the progressive mayor said on MS NOW. «I can’t wait for her to be introduced to so many across the city and across this country as we fight for that affordability agenda, from New York City to D.C.»

New York’s primary election date is June 23.

Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Mamdani, Avila Chevalier and Espaillat. None responded to requests for comment.

A fragile ceasefire that many Iranians say does not feel like a ceasefire has given some people inside Iran the courage to speak out, despite what they describe as enormous personal risk.

The accounts come as President Donald Trump threatened to hit Iran «very hard» if Iran does not accept a U.S.-backed deal, after renewed military escalation threatened to derail already fragile negotiations. The latest round of U.S. strikes followed the downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, which Trump blamed on the Iranian regime. Iran later reportedly retaliated with attacks in the region. 

Inside Iran, three young voices described a country where repression is becoming even more visible, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is expanding its presence on the streets, and ordinary people are struggling to afford basic necessities.

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All three spoke to Fox News Digital through written messages because of security concerns and internet restrictions inside Iran. Their names have been changed to protect their identities.

They described a similar reality: checkpoints across major streets, fear of the Basij, the hardline volunteer militia under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the Revolutionary Guards itself, renewed enforcement of hijab rules, mass layoffs, long lines outside bakeries and a growing sense among young Iranians that the future has disappeared.

‘The curtain has been pulled back’ 

«The influence of the Revolutionary Guards always has been present, and everything has operated within their ideological framework. Now, their interference is more obvious and easier to see,» Hassan said. «Now the curtain has simply been pulled back.»

Milad described a city transformed by security forces.

«The atmosphere in cities and government offices has become much more securitized. Security forces are now visible around almost every major square and intersection, and there are numerous checkpoints throughout the cities,» he said. «Individuals affiliated with the security apparatus or the Basij are increasingly being given positions of authority and influence.»

At the beginning of the war, Milad said, authorities appeared to ease some social restrictions, including enforcement of hijab rules. But he said that pressure has since returned, adding that the regime is not only targeting opponents, but also silencing supporters who cross political red lines.

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A woman walks past a billboard showing a military hand holding the Strait of Hormuz with Farsi text which reads, «In Iran’s hands forever,» «Trump couldn’t do a damn thing,» «The control of Strait of Hormuz will be Iran’s forever,» in Vanak Square, in northern Tehran, Iran, on April 16, 2026. (Vahid Salemi/AP)

«For example, a group staged a sit-in protest against negotiations with the United States,» Milad said. «Security forces intervened and told them that they were disrupting public security. They were warned that if they did not leave, they would be arrested.»

Ali, a student in Tehran, Iran, said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps control feels more open than ever.

«It can be said that if previously 80% of the country was controlled by the Revolutionary Guard and the rest by the government, now 100% of the country is in the hands of the IRGC,» Ali told Fox News Digital. «When you drive through the streets and reach checkpoints, you don’t even dare look them in the eye because they can do whatever they want.»

«No one dares get into trouble with people who are members of organizations like the Basij, because they can report your name and have you arrested,» he added. «They have become more brutal than ever, and people know that if they take to the streets, the Revolutionary Guards can easily kill them and no one can do anything about it.»

Ali said Basij members who once hid their affiliation now display it openly. 

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Iranians react after a ceasefire announcement at the Enqelab square, Wednesday, in Tehran. The U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire Tuesday, barely an hour before President Donald Trump’s deadline to obliterate the rival country was set to expire, with Tehran to temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz. (AFP via Getty Images)

‘We couldn’t even breathe’ 

The accounts come against the backdrop of Iran’s long history of violent crackdowns on dissent. 

Iran International reported that more than 36,500 people were killed during the January crackdown, while Amnesty International described January 2026 as the deadliest period of repression by Iranian authorities in decades and said deaths rose into the thousands.

Milad, who said he witnessed the crackdown, described the impact it had on ordinary Iranians.

«Before the war, we couldn’t even breathe. We couldn’t sleep at night,» he said. «The conditions were very difficult for most people who had seen that massacre. After the war, we were able to sleep more easily at night, and we felt a bit more at ease. Now, even though the war is still ongoing, we continue to worry about the families of the martyrs and those who are in prison, under torture, and facing the executioner.»

The new war and the U.S.-led pressure campaign that began Feb. 28 have raised hopes among some opponents of the regime that the Islamic Republic could be weakened or even collapse. But the Iranians who spoke to Fox News Digital said that, for now, the result on the ground has been a more visible security state.

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Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 9, 2026. (Mahsa/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Bread lines and vanishing future 

The economic pressure also is being felt across daily life.  

Iran already was struggling with inflation, currency collapse, corruption and sanctions before the war. 

Since then, growing economic strain has been reported, with businesses crushed by high prices, supply-chain disruptions, internet blackouts and rising unemployment. Iran’s official statistics center reported annual inflation of 53.7% in April, with food inflation above 115%, according to the Associated Press.

Ali said, many young Iranians see almost no path forward.

«The economic situation has become so bad that almost all industries are on the verge of collapse and are simply trying to survive,» he said. «Many companies have laid off workers, including me. Many of my engineering-student friends have also been laid off. Families can no longer financially support their children.» 

«I see many more older men and women than before who clearly were not garbage collectors but are now searching through trash,» Ali said.

«Almost all of us young people are convinced that we have no future,» he added. «At best, if there is anything left from what we earn, we can spend it on going to a café. Buying a phone or clothes has become difficult; buying a car is a dream. Prices have become so high that some days we can barely afford our two main meals and nothing else. Snacks, fruit and similar things are no longer part of life.»

Milad described a similar picture, saying layoffs, unpaid salaries and rising utility bills are crushing families.

«The government is trying to collect more money from people through higher taxes. Utility bills for water, electricity and gas have become extremely expensive,» he said.

He said bakeries remain crowded not only because of war fears, but because bread has become one of the only affordable foods left.

«Bread has become the main staple on many family tables,» Milad said. «Medical costs are extremely high, and many people are afraid to visit a doctor because the costs of medication, tests and treatment are so expensive.»

Hassan, however, said the economic pain is bearable only because some Iranians believe it could eventually help bring down the Islamic Republic.

«We believe that with the return of a government that truly represents the people, under the leadership of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, economic conditions will improve in the future,» he said.

Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s late shah, has lived in exile for decades and has increasingly presented himself as a unifying figure for Iranians seeking a post-Islamic Republic future. His supporters inside and outside Iran argue that any transition should lead to a referendum and a democratic system.

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Protesters rally in Washington, D.C., on March 7, 2026, supporting regime change in Iran following U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Warning against appeasement 

The Iranians who spoke to Fox News Digital warned the Trump administration against negotiating with the regime or easing pressure too soon.

«I would like to tell the Western world that appeasement of the Islamic Republic is futile,» Hassan said. «These are dishonest and deceptive people who, according to their religious beliefs, practice taqiyya in order to deceive others and maneuver their way through difficult situations.»

«These are not people who can be reformed,» he added. «Appeasement of them is harmful to the entire world. It is extremely naive to believe that meaningful negotiations can be conducted with such individuals.»

Ali said he believes the clerical regime would give up uranium if it allowed its leaders to stay in power.

«We only hope that the Islamic Republic falls, whether through war or through an agreement,» Ali said. «The clerics are far too shameless to fight to the death over uranium. They would be willing to hand over the uranium to the United States if it meant staying in power and continuing to plunder Iran. But they are certainly careful to avoid suffering the same fate as Gaddafi.»

His message to Washington was direct.

«The only message I have for the U.S. government is: save the people of Iran from the clerics and free Iran from the Islamic Republic,» Ali said.

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Iranian American community members Sadaf Ebrahimi, Shirin Nariman, and Mehran Ebrahimi watch a TV screen at Nariman’s home in Vienna, Virginia, reacting to news of U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, 2026. (Nathan Howard/Reuters)

Milad said many Iranians are watching Trump closely and fear another moment when the West chooses negotiation over the people in the streets.

«Iranian people have hope that the American administration will be strong and stand on their side,» he said. «We don’t want another Obama situation. Iranian people and their blood are not oil prices.»

«We have one message to the president, and that is to continue,» Milad said. «Here in Iran, we no longer say, ‘Obama, Obama, either with us or with them.’ Now we’re saying: ‘Trump, don’t be Obama. You are with us, not with them. President Trump, stay the course.’»

Fox News Digital reached out to Iran’s mission to the United Nations for comment.