FIFA to review security in Mexico ahead of World Cup, following violence after El Mencho’s killing, says Sheinbaum

Amid fears of a worsening security situation in Mexico following the killing of drug lord Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho" earlier this week, a high-level team of football’s world governing body, FIAF will visit the country to take stock of the situation.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday that the FIFA team will review security and transport plans in the country, ahead of this year's World Cup, scheduled to start in June this year.

Full confidence in Mexico: Infantino

Earlier, FIFA president Gianni Infantino told Sheinbaum in a phone call on Thursday that he has "full confidence" in Mexico as a World Cup host.

Sheinbaum said Infantino assured her that Mexico would host the World Cup.

"He assured me that the World Cup would be held in our country," she said. "We agreed that a FIFA team would definitely come to review several issues. We've been working on this for a long time, but the issue of security is particularly important, of course."

2026 FIFA World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026, marking the first time the tournament is hosted by three nations.

Mexico is set to host a total of 13 matches across three cities - Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.

Violence across Mexico

But the killing of El Mencho, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) on February 22, 2026, during a military operation, has raised serious security concerns for fans who were planning to travel to Mexico later this year.

Following the killing of El Mencho, the CJNG gang went on a violent rampage across the country, particularly in cities like Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta, targeting both civilians and security personnel.

Many tourists were also caught up in the violence, even though there are no reports of any foreigners being killed by the gang.

Calls to move matches out of Mexico

Viral videos and photos showing cartel members torching vehicles, banks, and supermarkets across more than a dozen Mexican states had resulted in many calling for the shifting of the matches scheduled in the country to other venues.

While acknowledging that the situation was unprecedented, the Mexican authorities had assured that things would be brought under control soon and that there was no risk to FIFA fans.

"I told him [Infantino] that Sunday was a special situation and that we have returned to normal, with all the safety measures that have been in place for some time now, so they can rest assured," Sheinbaum said on Friday.

FIFA's impact on Mexico

Before Sunday’s operation, Mexico was projected to receive between 5 million and 5.5 million international visitors for the FIFA World Cup, generating an economic impact of approximately $3 billion for the country.

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