Football Matches Postponed in Mexico Ahead of World Cup

TEHRAN (Iran News) Two Liga MX fixtures — Queretaro vs. Juarez FC in the men’s competition and Chivas vs. America in the women’s league — were called off, along with two second-division matches.

The disruption comes as Mexico prepares to co-host this summer’s World Cup, with Guadalajara scheduled to stage four matches in June.

Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” led the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and was wounded in Tapalpa, about a two-hour drive southwest of Guadalajara, before dying while being flown to Mexico City.

In the aftermath of his death, cartel members burned vehicles and blocked roads in nearly a dozen Mexican states.

Authorities reported explosions and shootouts between criminal groups and security forces in Jalisco, Guerrero and Michoacan, with roadblocks erected using burning cars across parts of southwest Mexico.

Against that backdrop, Mexico’s national team is scheduled to face Iceland in a friendly on Wednesday at the Corregidora stadium in Queretaro, and the Mexican football federation has not announced any plans to postpone the match.

Meanwhile, the unrest has cast fresh uncertainty over preparations for the World Cup, which Mexico will co-host with the United States and Canada from June 11 to July 19.

Mexico is set to host 13 matches across Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey, including the opening game in Mexico City on June 11.

Guadalajara is due to stage four fixtures, including two involving South Korea, as well as matches featuring co-host Mexico, Spain, Uruguay and Colombia.

The CJNG is regarded as one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations, with operations spanning much of the country and a key role in trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl to the United States.

Its designation as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration has underscored international concern over its reach.

In response to the latest violence, Global Affairs Canada urged people to “avoid non-essential travel” to dozens of areas in Mexico “due to high levels of violence and organized crime.”

The US State Department advised Americans to shelter in place, with some tourists reportedly stranded amid the unrest.

Separately, the Mexican Open ATP tournament is due to begin on Monday at the GNP Arena in Acapulco, Guerrero, with organizers stating that “the tournament’s operation continues as normal.”

The violence erupted just months before the expanded 48-team World Cup, which will feature 104 matches and draw millions of fans to North America, intensifying scrutiny of security arrangements in host cities.