Cartel bloodshed rocked a World Cup host city, and Infantino says fans have nothing to fear

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he was “very reassured” about Mexico’s ability to host the 2026 World Cup despite a recent wave of cartel violence that reached a tournament host city. He called the upcoming event “spectacular” as Mexico prepares to co-host the tournament with the United States and Canada.

The situation was detailed by Al Jazeera amid unrest triggered by the killing of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, described as a leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The report said cartel members blocked roads in 20 of Mexico’s 32 states and set vehicles and businesses on fire, with Guadalajara among the areas affected.

At least 74 people were killed during the operation to capture Oseguera and subsequent clashes, with the government saying only one was a civilian. Guadalajara is one of Mexico’s designated World Cup host cities.

Officials insist the tournament plans remain unchanged

Residents and tourists described disruptions in the aftermath of the violence. Javier Perez, a 41-year-old engineer in the Jalisco tourist resort of Puerto Vallarta, said it felt like a “war zone” and pointed to burned-out cars in a grocery store car park.

Mexican officials have said the World Cup will proceed safely. Separate attention has also tracked unusual travel calculations, including UK to New York hard drives. President Claudia Sheinbaum said there was “no risk” to fans and that conditions were “gradually returning to normal, according to the report.

Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus said there was “absolutely no risk” of Guadalajara being dropped as a host city. Mexico national team coach Javier Aguirre also said plans were moving forward as scheduled.

Mexico City and Monterrey, the other two Mexican host cities, were not affected by the recent violence. Guadalajara is scheduled to host four group-stage matches, including a game between Uruguay and Spain, and it will co-host a playoff tournament with Monterrey at the end of March to determine the final two World Cup qualifiers.

Not all football officials have sounded fully convinced. The Portuguese Football Federation said it was closely monitoring the situation ahead of a planned friendly in Mexico City on March 29 and emphasized safety for players, staff, and supporters, as travel threat briefly vanished drew separate political notice.

The report said a first-division match in Queretaro was suspended on Sunday because of the violence, though Mexico was still scheduled to play Iceland in a friendly there on Wednesday. Infantino maintained that he expects a “spectacular” tournament in Mexico.