“There is nothing to celebrate”: Thousands of mothers of the disappeared protest in Mexico ahead of the 2026 World Cup

Thousands of people marched in the streets of Mexico City on Sunday at the call of groups of families of the disappeared, led mainly by mothers demanding justice for their loved ones who disappeared in the drug-related violence that has plagued the country for decades.

Organized to coincide with Mother's Day, this annual mobilization took on a particular dimension this year with the approach of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Mexico will co-host with the United States and Canada. The protesters denounced the persistent impunity and called on football fans worldwide to support their cause.

In a statement, the families' groups asserted that "there is nothing to celebrate, because the mothers of Mexico are fighting the toughest match: the fight for justice." Throughout the march, protesters chanted: "Mexico, champion of disappearances!"

The march proceeded along the famous Paseo de la Reforma boulevard, where participants held up signs and photos of missing loved ones. The procession notably passed a roundabout that has become a symbol of the tragedy of disappearances in Mexico, permanently covered with portraits of missing persons.

Among the protesters was Graciela Perez Rodriguez, whose daughter and four other family members disappeared in 2012 in the northern state of Tamaulipas while returning from a trip to the United States. "We had to start fighting because no one wanted to take responsibility for the disappearance case," she said.

Mexico has been facing a major crisis of enforced disappearances and organized crime-related violence for years. Tens of thousands of people are officially listed as missing, while many families accuse the authorities of slowness, negligence, or inaction in the investigations.

With the 2026 World Cup approaching, the groups hope to take advantage of the international attention given to the country to remind people that behind the festive image of football, thousands of families continue to search for their missing loved ones and wait for answers from the Mexican authorities.