World Cup kicks off in Mexico City and other top photos from Latin America and the Caribbean

June 5 — 11, 2026

Co-host Mexico had an exuberant start to the largest World Cup in history with a 2—0 win over South Africa in the tournament's opening match in front of 80,824 fans at the iconic Azteca Stadium.

The gap between Peru’s two presidential candidates narrowed with 96% of ballots counted after the runoff contest. The winner will be the South American country’s ninth president in 10 years.

Hundreds of thousands of people filled São Paulo’s Paulista Avenue for the city’s LGBTQ+ Pride Parade.

This gallery was curated by photojournalist Natacha Pisarenko based in Buenos Aires.

AP photography: https://apnews.com/photography

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Mexico's Raul Jimenez makes a heart gesture as he celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Police officers block a street to the stadium ahead of the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)

Police fire tear gas at anti-government protesters blocking a highway in Vinto, Bolivia, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Dico Soliz)

Fishing boats burn in Manta, Ecuador, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Ochoa)

Aztlán Tenochtitlan plays ulama, a traditional Mesoamerican ball game dating back to pre-Hispanic times in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

A reveler in costume attends the annual Pride Parade in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ettore Chiereguini)

Relatives and activist of political prisoners seeking a meeting with Chargé d'Affaires John M. Barrett gather at a vigil near the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

People participate in a procession marking the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi in Plaza de Armas in Santiago, Chile, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez of the Together for Peru party appears on the balcony of his campaign headquarters after polls closed in the presidential runoff election in Lima, Peru, Sunday, June 7, 2026 (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Mexico's Raul Jimenez celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Performers on the pitch during the opening ceremony before the start of the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

At least three tornadoes battered communities outside Chicago on Thursday, leveling homes and ripping down trees and power poles, while storms grounded flights for some and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands in the Midwest and Northeast.

As a large column of air descended on Merrillville, Indiana, a town about 33 miles (53 kilometers) southeast of Chicago, the city’s police department warned residents to “TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.” By the evening, downed trees and power lines blocked the streets, homes were torn up and part of a high school's roof was ripped off.

Meanwhile, emergency crews were in the nearby manufacturing and farm city of Streator, Illinois, as the community reeled from tornado damage. A reunification center for displaced residents was set up in its city hall and the Red Cross opened a shelter.

Streator Mayor Tara Bedei said there were no reported deaths. “We are incredibly grateful for the safety of our residents and the quick action of emergency personnel,” she said in a statement.

Tornado warnings were also in place in Chicago and in parts of Indiana and Michigan Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. In Chicago, a series finale between the White Sox and the Atlanta Braves was postponed due to rain.

Strong storms delayed or halted flights at airports in some cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia and New York on Thursday. Parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic also strained under high heat and humidity.

Severe storms had swept through the Midwest Wednesday, knocking out power, damaging buildings and canceling flights.

In Des Moines, Iowa, a 54-year-old man died at a homeless encampment in a park Wednesday after being hit by a tree that “broke apart and fell during strong storms,” police said in a statement. There were no immediate reports of other deaths or injuries from the storms.

Shane Tipton stepped out of his truck in Unionville, Missouri, Wednesday afternoon to find a twister bearing down, said his daughter, Kylie Rouse. He rushed to get his 87-year-old dad out of his mobile home.

They made it back to the truck, drove just far enough away and watched as the tornado obliterated the home. Shattered cabinets, furniture and appliances littered the ground. Clothes hung in trees. They believe they lost one of their hunting dogs, who has been missing since it struck.

“Everything's destroyed,” Rouse told The Associated Press in a phone interview Thursday. “It was scattered clear for miles. If my grandpa would have been in there, there's no way that he would be alive.”

They returned to the scene Thursday to hunt through the debris. Rouse has started an online fundraiser through GoFundMe to help them recover.

Residents of Springfield, Illinois, believe a tornado touched down in their area late Wednesday. Two buildings at the Animal Protective League shelter in Springfield were heavily damaged, but none of the nearly 150 cats and 28 dogs housed there were injured, said Deana Corbin, the group's executive director.

“It pretty much wiped out our shelter facility, took the roofs off both of our buildings,” Corbin said. “It’s a miracle. We were so blessed to not have any injuries of either people or animals.”

The community pitched in to take in all the cats and dogs temporarily, including a local animal control center, veterinarians and residents, she said.

Damage also was reported at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield.

Weather service meteorologist Frank Pereira said the system that produced the storms, including high winds and hail, was moving eastward Thursday, fueled by cool air from Canada clashing with warm, humid air from the South.

Potentially dangerous heat and high humidity arrived Thursday and was expected to continue Friday for a swath of the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast, where daily high record temperatures could be broken in numerous places, the weather service said. Temperatures in the mid-90s Fahrenheit (mid-30s Celsius) were expected, but with the humidity it could feel like 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or more, the service said.

Philadelphia declared a heat health emergency for Thursday and Friday, activating cooling centers, home visits by field teams, outreach to people experiencing homelessness and other services. New York City officials were also urging residents to take precautions, including drinking plenty of water and finding a cool place to stay if they do not have air conditioning.

At various points Wednesday and Thursday, ground stops were issued at Chicago's O’Hare International and Midway International airports, and at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

More than 1,000 flights going into and out of Chicago had been delayed or canceled, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking website.

Commonwealth Edison Company, which provides electric service across northern Illinois, said the storms had downed poles and wires. On X, it wrote that it expected “80% restoration" by late Saturday.

Associated Press reporters Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, and Gene Johnson in Seattle contributed.

This frame grab from video shows a downed tree after storms struck Amherst, Ohio, west of Cleveland on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Courtesy WEWS/NEWS5) TELEVISION OUT

Grounds crew remove water from the field after severe thunderstorms came through the Chicago area before a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Atlanta Braves, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

This frame grab from aerial video shows a building in Stickney, Illinois, after its roof was damaged by the severe storms that struck the Chicago area on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Courtesy WMAQ-TV in Chicago) TELEVISION OUT