Mexican Soccer Postponed Amid Violence With World Cup Months Away

A wave of violence following the killing of a cartel leader has caused chaos in Mexico.

On Sunday, Mexican special forces killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the Jalisco New Generation cartel leader known as El Mencho. The operation took place in Tapalpa, a town less than 100 miles away from Guadalajara and about 400 miles from Mexico City, two of the host sites for the 2026 World Cup.

The World Cup is set to begin on June 11 in Mexico City and Guadalajara.

The cartel immediately retaliated against the government, as armed gunmen have blocked roads, set fire to establishments and vehicles across at least 20 states. Mexican officials say at least 25 members of the national guard have been killed in the aftermath of Cervantes’s death, along with more than 30 cartel members.

The U.S. government has urged citizens to seek immediate shelter in five Mexican states: Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero, and Nuevo León. 

The unrest led to the postponement of several professional soccer matches in Mexico, including a Liga MX match between Querétaro and Juárez and a women’s match between Chivas vs. America at Estadio Akron, just outside Guadalajara.

The men’s match was scheduled to take place at Corregidora stadium, home of Querétaro FC, which is also scheduled to host a friendly between Mexico’s national team and Iceland on Wednesday. The stadium is about 250 miles from Guadalajara.

The Mexican Football Federation has yet to announce changes to the game’s schedule. 

It’s still unclear whether the chaos will affect the 2026 World Cup, which is scheduled to begin on June 11 with matches at the Mexico City Stadium and Estadio Guadalajara. There will also be matches at Estadio Monterrey in Nuevo León.

Mexico is one of three host countries of the 2026 World Cup, along with the U.S. and Canada. FIFA, the United States Soccer Federation, and Canadian Soccer Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

ATP’s Mexico Open Continuing

Organizers of the Mexico Open—an ATP 500 event—released a statement Sunday saying the event will continue as planned. The tournament is in Acapulco, a city about 450 miles southeast where Oseguera was killed in Tapalpa. Acapulco is in the state of Guerrero, one of the five Mexican states the U.S. government has urged citizens to shelter in place.

“The event continues as scheduled and tournament operations are proceeding normally. We remain in coordination and constant communication with federal, state, and municipal authorities, under the established security protocols,” the statement read.

The event’s main draw begins Monday and features two top 10 players (Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur) as well as other known stars like Casper Rudd, Cam Norrie, and Frances Tiafoe. U.S. star Ben Shelton, No. 9 in the world, withdrew from the Mexico Open last week to recover from injury.

UFC

UFC Fight Night on Feb. 28 is set to take place in Mexico City, with flyweights Brandon Moreno and Lone’er Kavanagh fighting in the main event. UFC appears to have no plans of moving the card, with the promotion company continuing to advertise the event on social media, captioning posts on Instagram and X, “IT’S FIGHT WEEK IN CDMX!”

The State Department classifies Mexico City as a Level 2 (exercise increased caution) on the travel advisory scale. The city is not on the list of cities to avoid traveling to, as the worst cartel violence and battles with the state tend to be concentrated elsewhere. UFC is no stranger to the region either, as they opened a 30,000 square-foot Performance Institute in Mexico City in 2024 and have previously held seven events in the city. 

UFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.