The opening game of the 2026 World Cup has been marred by violence after protesters fought with riot police outside the Mexico City Stadium.
As the festivities got underway inside the iconic 87,000-seater venue - usually named the Estadio Azteca - there were more unsavory scenes taking place just outside the gates.
The Daily Mail witnessed the carnage unfold, as protesters - some reportedly made up of the families of those missing in the Mexican drug war - attempted to breach the stadium and were forcibly pushed back by police. A man had a heart attack outside the venue in an unrelated incident.
Just 10 minutes before the start of the Mexico-South Africa tournament opener, hundreds of demonstrators approached the grounds from the north-east side, attempting to enter the stadium's inner ring.
They threw flares and rocks at officers and smashed a lorry parked nearby. Riot police were quickly deployed and pushed the demonstrators back up the road, firing tear gas and throwing rocks back in the process.
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