MEXICO CITY, May 16, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Mexican public school teachers rallied on Friday to demand a hefty pay rise, threatening mass protests at the start of the football World Cup on June 11 if their demands are not met.

Around 3,000 members of the National Education Workers union marched in Mexico City on Teacher's Day and were met by a wall of police to prevent them reaching the education ministry.

"Education isn't a priority, but the million-dollar business of the World Cup is," one banner held by a protester read.

Another protester bounced a soccer ball between his feet as he marched.

The government and official leadership of the teacher's union have agreed to a nine percent raise, but the union is divided. A dissident wing is calling for a 100 percent raise.

The monthly starting gross wage for Mexican public school teachers is the equivalent of US$967.

"We demand the fulfilment of our demands," one protesting teacher, Filiberto Fraustro Orozco, from the northern state of Zacatecas, told AFP, adding that union members have agreed to stage intense protests during the World Cup.

Past industrial action by teachers has managed to shut down much of Mexico City for days at a time by blocking key roads, including access to the international airport.

Mexico expects around five million tourists to arrive for the World Cup that will be jointly hosted with the United States and Canada.