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Will Mexico’s World Cup party be spoiled by teacher protest?

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As Mexico City prepares to host the opening match of the World Cup on Thursday, teachers have pledged to continue their protests for increased wages and better labor conditions in the area surrounding the capital’s legendary Estadio Azteca (Aztec Stadium) as part of a national strike announced June 1 by the CNTE education workers union, which is demanding a 100% pay-rise. 

Over the past week, thousands of teachers have occupied the iconic Zocalo, or main square, blocked intersections and marched through the streets of the capital. Media report that security forces deployed tear gas against teachers who were attempting to occupy the Education Ministry. 

On the Paseo de la Reforma (Promenade of the Reform), teachers tore down meter-tall statues of soccer stars that had been erected ahead of the World Cup, ripping the jerseys off the plastic players and burning them.

“Without a solution, the ball won’t roll,” the teachers wrote on some of the fallen statues. 

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Grey smoke and fire extinguishers as police officers put out a fire at the Ministry of Education
Vandalism at the Ministry of Education where a fire was quickly extinguishedImage: Haaron Alvarez/AFP

Mexican teachers calling for higher salaries to cover cost of inflation

The teachers are protesting the education and pension policies of Claudia Sheinbaum, who was elected president with broad labor support as the successor to Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador, founder of the anti-neoliberal National Regeneration Movement (Morena) party. In May 2025, Sheinbaum’s government announced a 10% raise for teachers by September 2026 — which the unions had rejected as wholly inadequate.  

Salaries vary widely by region and according to education levels. Early-career teachers in public schools in Mexico receive 8,000-14,000 pesos (€390-690/$460-800) per month.  

The rival SNTE teachers union, which has long enjoyed close relations with Mexico’s various ruling parties, has called for a 13% raise in 2026 to cover the increasing costs of inflation. 

Teachers from Mexico's National Coordination of Education Workers (CNTE) carry a lamppost amid smoke
Protesters trying to break down the gates of the Ministry of Education using dismantled lampposts as police reportedly deploy tear gasImage: Paola Garcia/REUTERS

Protests in the international limelight

With its protests at the World Cup site, the CNTE is attempting to use the national and global focus on Mexico City for leverage. As one of the tournament’s three co-hosts, alongside the United States and Canada, Mexico is expecting about 5 million international tourists in June and July.  

According to the administration of Mexico City, the Zocalo can accommodate up to 55,000 people for public viewings — though thousands more may attempt to cram in when the national team plays. The teachers’ protest camp threatens to disrupt those plans. The global football governing body, FIFA, has already called off a training for World Cup volunteers on the square. 

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Sheinbaum won’t ‘fall for provocations’

In her daily press conference, Sheinbaum accused the teachers of trying to provoke the government while the international spotlight is on Mexico, but also ruled out a heavy-handed clampdown.

“We aren’t going to fall for provocations, ” Sheinbaum said. 

President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks at a podium and points at the audience
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum: ‘I don’t believe it was teachers who were behind the provocation’Image: Luis Barron/ZUMA/IMAGO

Instead, her government is negotiating with the teachers. The 100% raise has been ruled out as “incompatible with the federal budget.” The most probable compromise between the government and the teachers would be a package that combined raises with pension increases. 

Historic center teeming with protesters

Mexico City’s chamber of commerce has claimed that the disruptions to business in the area around the Zocalo and the blocking of traffic on main streets and to and from the airport have cost the private sector nearly €20 million. Some residents of Mexico City who oppose the protests have written on social media that they feel like they have been taken hostage by the teachers. 

The government has not blamed the union or the majority of the teachers for damage and destruction caused by affiliated groups. “There was a lot of provocation yesterday,” Sheinbaum said following the march. “The truth is that I don’t believe it was teachers who were behind the provocation.” 

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Many media outlets in Mexico have defended the protests as a legitimate form of social expression. The right-wing press, on the other hand, has criticized the teachers. In his column for the newspaper Milenio, the journalist Hector Aguilar Camin accused the teachers of a “pedagogy of violence.” He said the Morena party was partly at fault because it had empowered the CNTE union in its efforts to win teachers’ votes.  

This article was originally published in German.

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Jeeno Thitikul trying to ‘beat the course’ in hot Open start

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Jeeno Thitikul is well aware of the conversation that surrounds her every major championship.

But that doesn’t mean she’s buying into it.

In a year where World No. 1 Nelly Korda won the first two majors and World No. 3 Haeran Ryu won the next two, Thitikul, the World No. 2, is still hunting for her first.

After a round in which Thitikul parred her first three and last three holes and birdied seven of the 12 in between them, she was willing to admit she was pleased with a strong performance in one of golf’s biggest events.

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“I knew I hit some good shots, but some of the best shots luckily bounce over the pot bunker,” she said with a laugh. “When it’s your way, it’s really your way. And I knew I had a really good putter today, too.”

As for the big-picture question? Thitikul, who’s 23, demurred.

“It’s nothing. I feel like, I know that I haven’t won one yet, but I feel like I’m so young and then I still have I don’t know how many majors ahead of me,” she said. “I feel like one day it will come if I do my job, like keep improving at my job and then … when my game is ready, I’ll win it. Because when my time comes, it should be sweeter than what it felt.”

The key, Thitikul says, is not to show up thinking about the trophy at the end but focusing on the controllables.

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“What I can control is if I’m beating the course every day, I should have a really good chance to be on the leaderboard,” she said. “Because, you know, if you can put a red number on your scorecard every day, which means you beat the course, right, and the golf course in a major week isn’t that easy to be beating.”

On Thursday, just 25 players from the 144-player field finished in red figures. Korda posted two-over 73, while Ryu sits among the group at five under par, T2.

Thitikul’s close calls are well documented; her top finishes at majors date back to her fifth-place finish at the 2021 Evian Championship. She’s logged 11 top-10s since then, her closest call coming in a playoff loss at last year’s Evian, when she lost to Grace Kim’s eagle on the second playoff hole.

She comes into this week in strong form, off consecutive top-10s in majors and with two tournament wins already this season, at the Honda LPGA Thailand and the Mizuho Americas Open.

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Now comes her last and biggest test.

“I think majors really tests our games, mentally-wise, physically-wise,” Thitikul said.

So far, so good.

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Dolphin Grow a Garden guide

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The Dolphin is a Mythical pet introduced during Part 4 of the High Tide Harvest Event in Grow a Garden. Unlike most event pets that focus on harvesting or mutations directly, the Dolphin grants players a unique movement ability that can also help apply the valuable Tidal Mutation to nearby crops.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Dolphin pet in Grow a Garden.


How to obtain the Dolphin in Grow a Garden

A Gold mutated Dolphin (Image via Roblox || Grow a Garden Wiki)A Gold mutated Dolphin (Image via Roblox || Grow a Garden Wiki)
A Gold mutated Dolphin (Image via Roblox || Grow a Garden Wiki)

The Dolphin can be obtained directly from the Tide Token Shop, which is located inside the Summer Shop during the High Tide Harvest Event. It costs either 60 Tide Tokens or 249 Robux, allowing players to either grind the event or purchase it instantly.

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If you’re planning to unlock it without spending Robux, you’ll need to earn Tide Tokens by participating in the High Tide Harvest Event. You’ll receive 1 Tide Token for every 1,000 Harvest Points you earn, making it important to continuously harvest crops and complete event activities to accumulate enough tokens before the event ends.


Dolphin stats in Grow a Garden

The Dolphin is a Mythical pet that requires 100,000 Hunger to become fully grown. Its passive ability is called Dolphin’s Grace. Every once in a while, the pet transforms your character into a Dolphin for a short duration. During this effect, you’ll receive a significant movement speed boost along with 4x higher jump height, making it much easier to move around your garden.

While you’re transformed, any fruits you pass have a chance to receive the Tidal Mutation, allowing you to increase their selling value simply by running through your farm.


Is the Dolphin worth getting?

Yes. The Dolphin is one of the more unique pets added during the High Tide Harvest Event because it combines mobility with mutation generation. The increased movement speed and jump height make harvesting and navigating large gardens much faster, while the chance to apply the Tidal Mutation gives it excellent long-term earning potential.

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Although the passive activates only occasionally, the ability to mutate multiple fruits during each transformation makes the Dolphin a worthwhile pet for players looking to maximize profits throughout the event.


FAQs on Grow a Garden

How do you get the Dolphin in Grow a Garden?

The Dolphin can be obtained by hatching the Paradise Egg during Part 4 of the High Tide Harvest Event.

What rarity is the Dolphin?

The Dolphin is a Mythical pet.

What does the Dolphin’s Grace passive do?

It occasionally transforms your character into a Dolphin, granting increased movement speed, 4x jump height, and a chance to apply the Tidal Mutation to fruits you pass.

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How much Hunger does the Dolphin require?

The Dolphin requires 100,000 Hunger to become fully grown.