Football Tournament Unites Mexico Against Child Labour

Hosted at Grupo Modelo's football facility, the tournament featured four teams representing the ILO, the Mexican government, employers' organizations and workers' unions.

A friendly football tournament in Mexico City brought together representatives from government, employers, workers and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to promote a shared commitment to ending child labour. The event, held under the banner of the "Red Card to Child Labour" campaign, used sport as a way to encourage cooperation while sending a powerful message that children should be learning in classrooms instead of working.

Hosted at Grupo Modelo's football facility, the tournament featured four teams representing the ILO, the Mexican government, employers' organizations and workers' unions. While each team wore different colours on the field, they were united by a common purpose of raising awareness about child labour and encouraging greater action from every part of society. The day included an opening ceremony, a series of friendly matches and an awards presentation, creating an atmosphere focused on teamwork, respect and shared responsibility rather than competition alone.

Sport highlights the importance of collective action

The government team included members from the Secretariat of Labour and Social Welfare (STPS) and the Secretariat of Tourism (SECTUR). Employers were represented by the Employers' Confederation of the Mexican Republic (COPARMEX) and the Confederation of Industrial Chambers of Mexico (CONCAMIN). The workers' team brought together several major labour organizations, including the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM), the Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CROC), the Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers (CROM) and the National Union of Workers (UNT).

The tournament formed part of the ILO's global Red Card to Child Labour campaign, which encourages governments, businesses, employers' organisations, trade unions, athletes and members of the public to stand together against child labour. The initiative uses the universal appeal of football to spark conversations and strengthen partnerships that can help protect children from exploitation. By bringing all three ILO constituents together on the same field, the event also highlighted the value of social dialogue, showing that meaningful progress is possible when governments, employers and workers collaborate instead of working separately.

Millions of children worldwide still face child labour

The campaign also drew attention to the scale of child labour around the world. According to the latest estimates from the ILO and UNICEF, around 138 million children are engaged in child labour globally, with 54 million involved in hazardous work that threatens their health, safety and development.

In Mexico, the challenge remains significant. The country's 2022 National Child Labour Survey (ENTI) estimated that 3.7 million children and adolescents aged between five and 17 years are engaged in child labour, highlighting the need for continued efforts to improve access to education, strengthen labour protections and support vulnerable families.

The ILO said initiatives like the football tournament help reinforce the message that eliminating child labour requires more than laws and policies alone. Success depends on sustained cooperation among governments, businesses, trade unions and communities working together to create opportunities that allow every child to grow, learn and develop in a safe environment. By turning a football match into a platform for awareness, the campaign demonstrated that even simple acts of unity can help strengthen the global movement to end child labour.