Four soccer matches in Mexico have been postponed in the wake of the death of a powerful drug cartel leader near Guadalajara, one of the host cities for the 2026 World Cup this summer.
Mexican drug kingpin Nemesio Oseguera, who’s known as ‘El Mencho,’ died Sunday, Feb. 22, from injuries suffered in a shootout with Mexican officials that also killed six other cartel members.
The resulting civil unrest forced soccer officials in Mexico to postpone two top-tier matches indefinitely − Queretaro vs. Juarez FC in the men’s league and Chivas vs. America in the women’s league − and call off a pair of second-division matches.
After reports of El Mencho’s death, suspected cartel members blockaded highways with burning cars and torched businesses in more than half a dozen states.
The Mexican national team has a friendly scheduled against Iceland on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Corregidora Stadium in Queretaro. The status of that game is still in limbo.
Meanwhile, organizers of the Mexican Open men’s tennis tournament in Acapulco said the event would begin Monday as scheduled under established security protocols.
Guadalajara is scheduled to host four World Cup matches in June, including two involving South Korea. Co-host Mexico, Spain, Uruguay and Colombia will also play there.