MEXICO CITY, Mexico – The Mexican government has officially canceled a controversial plan to shorten the school year ahead of the 2026 World Cup following a wave of backlash from parents, education experts, and regional authorities.
Okay News reports that Education Secretary Mario Delgado had originally proposed ending the academic year on June 5—nearly 40 days early—citing the upcoming tournament and an intense heatwave as primary justifications. However, President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed skepticism over the move, leading to an emergency meeting on Monday with stakeholders to reconsider the calendar.
During the meeting, officials reached a consensus to revert to the original schedule. The school year will now end on July 15, with the subsequent term beginning on August 31. The decision effectively preserves the traditional six-week summer vacation and addresses concerns raised by the think tank Mexico Evalua, which warned that cutting classes would cause 23.4 million students to fall further behind in their learning.
The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada, is set to kick off on June 11 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, where Mexico will face South Africa. Despite the tournament excitement, President Sheinbaum emphasized that education must remain a priority, while also guaranteeing that security conditions and major infrastructure projects at the airport and stadium will be completed on time for the global event.
