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MEXICO CITY: Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Tuesday there are “all the guarantees” for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held in the country, after the capture and death of Mexico’s most-wanted cartel leader triggered roadblocks, arson and security clashes, notably in Jalisco state.
Asked if the top international soccer tournament, which is expected to draw crowds of fans from around the world to matches in Mexico City, Monterrey and Jalisco’s capital Guadalajara, would pose a risk to visitors, Sheinbaum said there was “no risk.”
A spokesperson for FIFA told Reuters that the organisation was closely monitoring the situation and was in close contact with the authorities.
“We will continue to follow the actions and directions from the different government agencies, aimed at maintaining public safety and restoring normalcy, and we reiterate our close collaboration with federal, state, and local authorities,” they said.
Local Mexican leagues postponed some matches that had been scheduled for Sunday, the day cartel members coordinated a series of violent attacks across the country in the aftermath of an operation to capture cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” which resulted in his death.
Sheinbaum told a morning press conference on Tuesday that the situation was continuing to normalise, noting that several new roadblocks appeared overnight but said security forces were working to safeguard public security.Mexico is set to host 13 of 104 World Cup matches. Four of these are set to be held in Guadalajara. It will also host some preliminary warm-up matches before the tournament opens on June 11.
Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2026
