FIFA president Gianni Infantino is still expecting the World Cup to go on as scheduled in Mexico this summer, despite cartel violence that has rocked the country following the death of drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes at the hands of Mexican authorities.
Oseguera Cervantes was the head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and was killed by the Mexican military during an operation to capture him, which set off days of violence that authorities said killed at least 70 people.
Nevertheless, Infantino has expressed “full confidence” that Mexico can host the World Cup and stated that World Cup playoff matches scheduled to take place in the country next month at Estadio Akron in Jalisco will go on. Jalisco is the Mexican state that has been one of the hardest hit areas by the cartel violence, which came in response to Oseguera Cervantes’ death.
“Nobody has to move anything. We are in constant contact with the presidency of Mexico, with the authorities,” Infantino said Wednesday, according to the Miami Herald. “We have full trust in the authorities in Mexico, in President [Claudia] Sheinbaum and her team. We fully support them, because we live in a world where things happen. Good things and bad things, situations happen. We don’t live on the moon, we live here. We need to deal with it, we need to cope with it.
“We are monitoring the situation of course. But we have full, full confidence that everything will be great. Mexico is a football country. And the Mexicans, the authorities but also the people will do everything to ensure the World Cup, but also the playoffs, will be a celebration of football.”
Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco, is set to host four matches during the World Cup this summer.
The violence in Mexico led to four domestic soccer matches being postponed on Sunday.
Mexican President Sheinbaum offered “every guarantee” that the World Cup will go on and that there is “no risk” to soccer fans thinking of attending.
Others were a little more skeptical, with the Jamaican Soccer Federation sounding a bit more concerned.
Jamaica is slated to play in a playoff game there on March 26.
“The games are at the end of March, so we still have another month to see what happens; but it is making me very nervous, to be honest,” Michael Ricketts, the president of the Jamaican Soccer Federation, said in a statement in the wake of the unrest. “We will be listening out for CONCACAF and FIFA to give us instructions [on] whether they are playing the games or whether they are immediately looking for other options.”
One local resident in Guadalajara expressed concern outright about the World Cup coming to Mexico.
“I don’t think they should host the World Cup here,” Hugo Alejandro Pérez told the Associated Press. “We have so many problems, and they want to invest in the World Cup? With all the violence, it’s not a good idea.”