On Sunday, four professional soccer matches in Mexico were postponed due to violence erupting near Guadalajara. This unrest followed a military operation that resulted in the death of cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, also known as “El Mencho.” The city is one of the locations set to host games during the 2026 World Cup.
Officials from Liga MX called off two prominent league matches: the men’s clash between Queretaro and Juárez FC, and the women’s match featuring Chivas and America. Additionally, two games in the second division were also canceled out of concern for safety.
This turmoil followed an operation conducted earlier that day in Tapalpa, Jalisco state, located around two hours southwest of Guadalajara. Authorities reported that Oseguera, a former police officer who became a prominent figure in the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG), was killed during this operation.
In the wake of the incident, vehicles were set ablaze, and roads were blocked in nearly a dozen states across Mexico, according to officials.
Guadalajara is slated to host four matches in the upcoming World Cup, including two involving South Korea, while Mexico, Spain, Uruguay, and Colombia are also scheduled to appear there.
The Mexican national team is set to play a friendly against Iceland on Wednesday at the Corregidora Stadium in Queretaro. As of Sunday, there had been no announcements regarding changes to this match from the Mexican Football Federation.
Not all sporting events were disrupted, however. The organizers of the Mexican Open in Acapulco confirmed that the ATP tournament will proceed as planned at the GNP Arena on Monday, stating that “tournament operations will continue as normal.”
El Mencho had a $15 million bounty on his head in the U.S. and gained notoriety following the capture of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman. Over the last fifteen years, CJNG has evolved from a regional group into a significant global trafficking network, operating predominantly from Jalisco throughout much of Mexico.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau remarked on social media about El Mencho’s death, heralding it as a significant victory for not only Mexico but for the U.S. and Latin America as well. He noted, “The good guys are stronger than the bad guys.”
Mexico’s military indicated that the operation was part of joint efforts with U.S. authorities, who provided vital information leading to Oseguera’s death.
Following his demise, cartel members retaliated by burning vehicles and blocking roads across numerous states.
The Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel is deemed the most powerful cartel in Mexico, with around 19,000 members and operations in 21 of the nation’s 32 states.
The Trump administration previously labeled the cartel a foreign terrorist organization.
