FIFA World Cup 2026 preperation: Mexico may end school year a month early, parents protest

Authorities in Mexico have announced plans to end the school year more than a month early as the country prepares to host matches for the FIFA World Cup 2026. The move has triggered criticism from parents, policy groups and business organisations.

Education Secretary Mario Delgado said the academic session would end on June 5, around 40 days earlier than scheduled. He said the decision was linked to rising temperatures in several states as well as preparations for the World Cup.

“We're going to end the school year on June 5 because many states are already experiencing high temperatures, and there's also the issue of the World Cup,” Delgado said during an event in Sonora state.

However, he also said authorities were considering bringing forward the start of the next academic year, which is currently set for August 31.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be jointly hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada. The tournament begins on June 11, with Mexico scheduled to play South Africa in Mexico City.

After the announcement sparked criticism, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the decision was still only a proposal and no final academic calendar had been approved.

“There is no definitive calendar yet,” Sheinbaum said during her daily press briefing. “It's important that the children don't miss classes either.”

Many parents reacted strongly to the proposal, saying an extended summer break could create financial pressure because they may need to arrange an additional month of childcare.

Public policy think tank Mexico Evalua warned that the move could affect more than 23.4 million students and reduce learning time further at a time when educational inequality and academic gaps already exist.

Meanwhile, officials in Jalisco state, which is governed by political opponents of Sheinbaum, said they would not follow the proposal and would keep schools open until June 30 as originally planned.

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