Labor & Employment World Cup 2026: Colombia v. Mexico on the Changing Workforce

Kickoff: Getting to Know the Colombian National Team

Colombia returns to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2018, carrying a sense of unfinished business that dates back more than a decade and involves a bit of heartbreak. For many supporters, the defining moment remains the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Colombia produced one of the most memorable tournaments in its history, advancing to the quarterfinals while showcasing an exciting and dynamic style of play that captured international attention.

Then came the match against the host nation. With Colombia trailing in the second half, a sequence of rebounds ended with a Colombian player, Mario Yepes, putting the ball in the net—only for the referee to disallow it for an alleged offside. This decision sparked immediate controversy and remains one of the most debated moments in Colombian football history. The phrase “era gol de Yepes” (“it was Yepes’ goal”) became part of the country’s national vocabulary.

Colombia’s World Cup journey since then has been marked by highs and lows. A round-of-16 appearance in Russia in 2018 was followed by the disappointment of failing to qualify for Qatar 2022, forcing the nation to watch the tournament from the sidelines for the first time in eight years.

Now, after that absence, the Colombian national team, nicknamed “La Tricolor,” returns to the sport’s biggest stage. The qualification campaign restored confidence that Colombia belongs among the leading football nations, and the team’s return has reignited excitement both at home and among Colombians living abroad.

As the opening match approaches in Mexico City, bars and restaurants across Colombia will fill with supporters dressed in yellow. For 90 minutes, Colombians from Bogotá to Barranquilla—and from New York to Madrid—will share the same hope. After eight years away, La Tricolor is back on the World Cup stage.

Home Field Advantage: Introducing Mexico City

Mexico City, one of the most populated metropolitan areas in the world, is a city with a rich and diverse history and culture. Built atop the ruins of the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, the city today embodies a vibrant blend of past and present, where modern business districts (such as Santa Fe, where Littler’s offices are located) stand alongside historical neighborhoods seemingly untouched by the passage of time. The downtown district itself, the Centro Histórico, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. This, among other locations such as Chapultepec Castle, serve as reminders of the city’s central role in shaping Mexican history.

Beyond its cultural significance, Mexico City is also the economic and financial heart of the country. As one of Latin America’s most important business hubs, it hosts the headquarters of major domestic and multinational companies and has become an increasingly attractive destination for digital nomads.

Of course, no introduction to Mexico City would be complete without mentioning its food. The city’s culinary traditions are renowned worldwide, from neighborhood taquerías to internationally celebrated restaurants. Yet what often leaves the strongest impression on visitors is not the food itself, but the people. Residents are known for their warmth and hospitality, whether through a friendly “buenos días” from a complete stranger or a spontaneous “buen provecho” offered to restaurant patrons by a passerby.

Football occupies a similarly special place in the city’s identity, and nowhere is this more evident than the Estadio Azteca, now known as Estadio Ciudad de México, has become the first football stadium to host matches in three FIFA World Cups. The stadium welcomed some of the sport’s most legendary moments during the World Cups of 1970 and 1986, providing the stage for icons such as Pelé and Diego Maradona. If you live in Mexico, chances are you “inherited” loyalty to one football club or another. But football fan or not, during the World Cup, the whole city is wearing green on matchday.

Just as Mexico City brings together tradition and modernity, its labor market reflects the ongoing challenge of balancing economic flexibility with worker protections—a challenge that is particularly visible in the growth of informal work and the gig economy.

The Rulebook: Informal Work and the Gig Economy

Colombia

Colombia’s gig economy has grown significantly in recent years, with several major platforms—some of them among the largest technology companies in Latin America—enabling thousands of people to earn income through on-demand delivery, transportation, and other digital services. The growth of these businesses unfolded within a labor market long characterized by high levels of informality and diverse contracting models, creating grounds for business models built on flexible, non-traditional work arrangements.

For years, platform companies engaged their workforce through non-labor (commercial or civil) agreements, such as service contracts or collaboration agreements, on the basis that the relationship lacks the element of subordination that defines a traditional employment relationship under Colombian law. Under this model, platform workers have been classified as independent contractors and remained responsible for funding their own social security contributions.

The treatment of platform workers changed, however, with Colombia’s Labor Reform, which introduced a framework specifically addressing platform-based work. Under the reform, companies may either hire a worker through: (1) a formal labor contract that recognizes a dependent employment relationship with full labor protections; or (2) continue engaging them through non-labor agreements while assuming responsibility for social security contributions to cover health, pension, and occupational risk.

There have also been important developments at the international level. In June 2026, the International Labour Organization (ILO) approved, by consensus, the first international convention focused on decent work through digital platforms. Colombia played an active role in the discussions leading to the adoption of the convention, which emphasizes that relationships between digital platforms and the individuals who provide services must guarantee principles of decent work, including sufficient income, social security coverage, freedom of association, and collective bargaining rights.

Much like the Colombian national team rebuilt after the disappointment of missing Qatar 2022, the country’s regulatory framework is doing something similar: attempting to adapt to a changing reality. With its legal reforms, Colombia has recognized the growth of the gig economy and worked to produce a framework that—whatever its imperfections—shows that the country is no longer content to watch the changes from the sidelines.

Mexico

Labor informality has remained one of Mexico’s most significant labor market challenge. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) data, more than half of Mexico’s workforce operates in informal employment arrangements.[1] Not only does this mean that these workers do not receive certain labor rights, such as paid vacations, benefits, labor protections, and severance pay, but it also means that much of the Mexican population does not receive public healthcare coverage, which requires registration in the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS, by its acronym in Spanish). 

This reality has significant implications not only for workers but also for employers navigating workforce classification issues. Mexico’s Federal Labor Law is strongly protective of employee rights and provides that labor rights may not be waived. As a result, an employment relationship may exist regardless of the content or title of any agreement, or lack thereof. Therefore, even in cases of informal employment, if the individual providing services files a formal complaint with labor authorities, they may receive recognition of their labor rights. The result is a heightened risk of worker misclassification, particularly for companies entering the Mexican market and relying on independent contractor arrangements without carefully analyzing the underlying relationship.

The debate over classification has become increasingly prominent with the growth of digital platforms and app-based work. In December 2024, Mexico adopted legislation recognizing many gig economy workers as employees with the protections provided by the Federal Labor Law—with certain caveats. The law names these individuals as “digital platform workers” and recognizes their status as employees under very different rules than those applied to regular employees. 

Under the new framework, to be classified as an employee, a digital platform worker must earn a net income of at least one monthly minimum wage. If this threshold is not met each month, the individual will be considered an “independent digital platform worker,” who is entitled to the same rights as other digital platform workers, with the exception of social security contributions. In addition, digital platform workers are not entitled to receive certain statutory benefits separately from their regular earned pay. Instead, the law provides that their regular compensation already includes vacation pay, the Christmas bonus, a vacation premium and, where applicable, overtime. This feature, together with the lack of clarity surrounding other aspects of the framework, has generated criticism among some gig workers.

On the Global Field: Closing Thoughts 

Like football, labor markets are shaped by local traditions, national priorities, and evolving rules of play. Colombia and Mexico face similar challenges in addressing labor informality and regulating platform-based work, yet their approaches reflect different stages of a broader regional effort to balance flexibility, economic opportunity, and worker protection.

As businesses continue to expand across borders and technology continues to reshape how work is performed, understanding these differences becomes increasingly important. For employers operating throughout Latin America, success often depends not only on knowing the rules, but also on recognizing why those rules developed in the first place—and how they continue to evolve.