Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Tuesday that "there is no risk" for fans coming to the country for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after riots erupted following the capture and death of Mexico's most wanted drug cartel leader, particularly in the state of Jalisco, UNN reports with reference to Reuters.
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Sheinbaum said that "all guarantees" of security for the major international football tournament, which is expected to attract crowds of fans from all over the world to matches in Mexico City, Monterrey, and Jalisco's capital, Guadalajara, have been provided.
She stated that the situation is normalizing, and security forces are working to ensure public safety after supporters of cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera set up roadblocks and set fire to buses and shops across the country to retaliate for his killing during a military raid on Sunday.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino told reporters on Tuesday that he felt "very calm" about holding the summer tournament in Mexico. "Everything will be great," he said.
A FIFA representative said that the organization is closely monitoring the situation and is in close contact with the authorities.
"We will continue to adhere to the actions and directives of various government agencies aimed at ensuring public safety and restoring normalcy, and we reaffirm our close cooperation with federal, regional, and local authorities," the representative said.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus on Tuesday confirmed the state's participation in the tournament and confirmed a number of upcoming events in the region.
"FIFA has absolutely no intention of excluding any stadiums from Mexico. The three stadiums remain completely unchanged," Lemus said.
Mexico will host 13 of the 104 World Cup matches. Four of them will be held in Guadalajara. Several preliminary friendly matches will also take place in Mexico before the tournament opens on June 11.
Local Mexican leagues postponed some matches scheduled for Sunday, the day cartel members coordinated a series of violent attacks across the country after the operation to capture Oseguera, known as "El Mencho."
Sheinbaum largely follows the political map of her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who prioritized fighting poverty and other root causes of violence, adopting the slogan "hugs, not bullets."
When asked whether Oseguera's killing was a departure from this policy, Sheinbaum replied that it would never happen.
"The arrest of a suspected criminal with an arrest warrant can lead to similar circumstances, but we strive for peace, not war," she said.
The arrests of other high-ranking cartel figures in Sinaloa state in recent years have also provoked retaliatory cartel actions, including shootouts and car arsons.