The South Korean car giant Hyundai, a major sponsor of the ongoing FIFA World Cup, is set to face intense scrutiny in Guadalajara, Mexico, as it hosts two high-profile matches. On Thursday, the city will stage the Group A match between Mexico and South Korea, but ahead of kick-off, anti-Hyundai protesters are expected to take to the streets. Their demonstrations are aimed squarely at Hyundai's commercial ties with Ternium, a mining company at the centre of controversy over environmental practices and human rights abuses.
The protest, scheduled for Plaza de La Liberación, will draw attention to the long-standing issue of Mexico's estimated 130,000 'disappeared' individuals. A 2023 report by Mighty Earth had previously highlighted Hyundai's role in a "dirty steel supply chain" due to its significant purchase of iron ore from Ternium for steel production.
Two activists - human rights lawyer Ricardo Arturo Lagunes Gasca and Aquila Indigenous community leader Antonio Díaz Valencia - vanished in January 2023 after attending an anti-mining meeting. Their abandoned vehicle, later found with bullet holes but no blood present, has sparked widespread outrage. Ternium has repeatedly come under fire from campaign groups over its environmental impact and governance policies.
Protesters are accusing Hyundai of using its World Cup sponsorship as a means of "sportswashing" - an attempt to improve its reputation by associating itself with major international events while ignoring its commercial relationships with companies accused of wrongdoing. The South Korean carmaker, alongside Kia, serves as FIFA's official mobility partner, providing vehicles for players, officials, and referees across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Ternium has denied any involvement in the disappearances, stating that it is "against any type of violence" and rejecting speculation about its role. Hyundai has declined to comment on the planned protests, but this demonstration follows earlier protest movements during the Mexican leg of the World Cup, including striking teachers who forced road closures near Estadio Azteca last week.