Claudia Sheinbaum dispels doubts about Guadalajara as a World Cup host city: ‘There is no risk’

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has emphatically addressed doubts about Guadalajara’s hosting of the 2026 World Cup. “There is no risk,” she stated on Tuesday, assuring that “every guarantee” is in place for the tournament to proceed smoothly and safely for visitors.

The statements came two days after the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, in an operation by the Mexican army. The event unleashed a wave of violence and drug cartel roadblocks in various parts of Jalisco, some just a few kilometers from Akron Stadium, one of the venues designated to host matches. The stadium is scheduled to stage playoff matches from March 26-31 and, when the tournament proper begins in June, four World Cup matches.

Despite the aftermath the operation against El Mencho — which left 72 people dead, over 250 narco-blockades in 20 states across the country, vehicles and businesses burned, and school classes suspended — the president has insisted that the government and state authorities are working to ensure optimal conditions during the tournament. Guadalajara expects around three million visitors during the World Cup.

Bolivia, Suriname, Jamaica, New Caledonia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Iraq will play next month at the Akron and BBVA (Monterrey) stadiums for one of the six remaining spots at the World Cup. These matches have been called into question in light of the weekend’s violence, although FIFA has not commented on the matter and has so far given no indication that Mexico’s status as a World Cup host or the playoff games are at risk.

This is not the first time that insecurity has put pressure on Mexico as a World Cup host. Last November, the assassination of the mayor of Uruapan, Carlos Manzo, raised the same doubts. Jürgen Mainka, FIFA’s executive director in Mexico, said at the time that FIFA is “very sure, very confident” that the protocols and all the plans being implemented for the World Cup “will provide a secure environment for all fans, all teams, and all referees in 2026.”

According to Gabriela Cuevas, Mexico’s representative for the tournament, the host cities have formed their own teams in coordination with local governments. These delegations have been working for three years on a joint security and logistics strategy, which covers — in addition to the stadiums — 13 base camps, 10 cities, and 17 training grounds.

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