Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum drew positive conclusions from the World Cup opener in Mexico City on Thursday despite the protests that took place ahead of the match.
Tournament co-hosts Mexico got off to the perfect start with goals from Julian Quinones and Raúl Jiménez sealing a 2-0 win over nine-man South Africa.
The only downside for Mexico was a late red card for Cesar Montes for a last-man tackle.
"It's with great pride that I congratulate our Mexican national team for bringing us this historic joy and for showing the world the greatness of Mexico both on and off the field," Sheinbaum said in a statement.
"Long live our fan base, long live our city, and long live Mexico," said the president, who watched the match at a fan festival.
Different groups used the occasion, however, to stage protests. Teachers took to the streets amid a long-running row over pension reforms.
Relatives of missing people also protested on the roads, calling for faster investigations and justice for their family members.
"Mexico City is a city of rights and freedoms, because not only were the groups that wanted to demonstrate able to do so, but the general public also had the right to participate in the football festivities or go to the stadium," Sheinbaum said.
Only a few cars were able to get close to the Azteca Stadium because of the restricted zone around the stadium. Access roads within a radius of about 1.6 kilometres were completely closed. The city backed up the measure with a large police presence.
