By Angelica Medina
MEXICO CITY, March 28 (Reuters) - Protesters transformed a major Mexico City highway into a makeshift football pitch on Saturday, playing impromptu matches to denounce World Cup preparation which they said is overshadowing the capital's pressing needs.
The event unfolded on the white-painted asphalt of a busy ring road, with demonstrators wearing Mexico jerseys alongside club colours of Pumas, Chivas and Italian side Juventus, while an organiser provided match commentary over a loudspeaker.
The protest was intended to denounce what organizers termed the "World Cup of Dispossession" and to draw attention to shortages of housing, water, transport and electricity.
Reuters has contacted the Mexico City government for comment.
The event took place just hours before Mexico was due to play Portugal in a World Cup warm-up match, and saw authorities deploy over 4,000 emergency services personnel to ensure safety.
Protesters played a friendly match, or "cascarita", along the highway's central lane, causing a massive build-up of traffic which eased when protesters moved to the outside lane for a second match.
In a further political twist, the second match featured a football bearing the face of U.S. President Donald Trump, the significance of which was not immediately clear. Other signs of politics included Ukraine flags and chants of "Free Palestine".
"The union that this sport builds between people - if a ball appears everyone tries to play, you forget about your differences and enjoy the game, the moment," Roman, a protester who gave only his first name, told Reuters.
"Football is about community; it's about more than money," Roman said, adding that there are more pressing needs while the authorities are focused on the tournament. "We want attention. We want decent transport. We want water. We want electricity. We want to be able to get home. We want lights in the streets."
The players, encircled by police, remained focused on winning the match while making their political points. When the ball rolled into the road, they paused and waited for its return while some passing drivers honked in support.
Banners unfurled during the protest included one reading "Global event, local eviction," reflecting participants' claims that World Cup-related development was fuelling displacement across the capital.
"It is contradictory, precisely because I like football a lot. I follow football, but that does not mean I support this. I do not think it is being handled in the best way in Mexico," Julian, another protester wearing a "Lucha Libre" wrestling mask, told Reuters.
Mexico will co-host the World Cup alongside the United States and Canada. The tournament will take place from 11 June to 19 July, with matches scheduled for Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina, Alicia Fernandez and Hugo Monnet in Mexico City; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
