00:12Before a single ball was even kicked at the Azteca Stadium, chaos erupted on the streets
00:18outside.
00:19We're talking petrol bombs, bricks and bottles flying at police on the opening day of the
00:25World Cup.
00:27Picture this, Mexico City, hours before kickoff.
00:31The atmosphere should be electric, fans in jerseys, flags waving, World Cup fever everywhere.
00:38And it was, until it wasn't.
00:42Outside Gate 8 of the Azteca, things took a dark turn.
00:47According to local media, nearly 100 hooded individuals broke away from a much larger
00:53crowd.
00:53We're talking groups of around 800 protesters each and started charging at police lines.
00:59And this wasn't just shoving and shouting.
01:02These individuals were hurling bricks, petrol bombs and other projectiles directly at officers.
01:09Several police needed medical treatment on the spot.
01:14And now here's where it gets complicated.
01:17Mexico City has seen a full week of protests leading up to the tournament.
01:21Teachers, retired judges and families demanding answers about the country's disappeared persons
01:27crisis.
01:28Which authorities say involves over 130,000 people.
01:32But officials say this particular outburst of violence, not politically motivated.
01:38At least five separate protest groups converged at the stadium that day, despite a two-mile
01:43security perimeter with road closures already in place.
01:49So, what happened next?
01:51Dozens of arrests, according to local reports.
01:56Police say the situation was eventually brought under control by metropolitan officers.
02:01But amid the crowd surge and the chaos, something even more alarming happened.
02:06A man reportedly suffered a heart attack in the crowd.
02:09And because of the unrest, emergency medical teams faced delays just trying to reach him.
02:15Despite all this, the match kicked off on schedule.
02:18The Fan Fest at the Zocalo also went ahead as planned.
02:22Even with protest groups trying to get it shut down.
02:25But here's the question everyone's asking now.
02:28If this is what opening day looks like, what does the rest of the tournament have in store?
02:34With the US, Canada and Mexico co-hosting a month-long event, security experts are already
02:40calling this one of the most complex operations in sports history.
02:44Even bigger than a Super Bowl.
02:46So far, neither FIFA nor local officials have released an official statement on injuries or arrest numbers.
02:53But one thing's for sure, security is now the story everyone's watching heading into the next match days.
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