“The ball is coming home, but when will our desaparecidos be found?” That’s what Mexico’s Madres Buscadoras are asking as the country prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening match. Massive crowds have been protesting the event and calling attention to Mexico’s missing persons crisis, as according to the National Registry, nearly 135,000 people have disappeared in connection to organized crime and cartel violence. “This is a crisis on a staggering scale — there are more disappeared and missing people in Mexico than will attend the opening match of this World Cup. It is time for the Mexican authorities to listen to these women, who deserve truth, remedy and justice,” Edith Olivares Ferreto, Executive Director of Amnesty International Mexico, said. #Mexico #FIFAWorldCup #MadresBuscadoras #Guadalajara #HLOG