FIFA have said they are closely watching the security situation in Guadalajara after cartel violence swept through the city and much of Mexico following the killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, by the Mexican military on Sunday.
El Mencho’s death triggered an immediate and violent response from cartel members across the country. Roads were blocked, vehicles and businesses were set on fire, and gunfire broke out in several states.
About 75 people died in the chaos that followed, including soldiers and cartel members. The U.S. Embassy told American citizens to stay indoors, schools were shut across some states, and Guadalajara, one of three Mexican host cities for the World Cup, came to a near standstill.
The Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, which is set to host four group stage games this summer, including Mexico vs South Korea and Uruguay vs Spain, is also scheduled to stage a World Cup qualifying playoff in late March, just weeks away.
With that event approaching, reports from The Athletic suggest the venue could be moved if the violence continues.
FIFA issued a statement through their Mexico office saying they are in constant contact with local and federal authorities and are following their guidance.
Under the rules governing the 2026 tournament, FIFA has the right to cancel, reschedule or relocate any match at its discretion if health, safety or security concerns demand it.
Not everyone is convinced the violence will last. A professor of criminal law at the University of Nottingham told the BBC that the cartels have a financial reason to want the World Cup to pass peacefully, given how much money they make from tourism and local businesses.
Mexican authorities, meanwhile, insist their security plan, involving the army, National Guard and AI-driven surveillance systems, remains in place.
The tournament is due to open on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
