Four professional soccer games in Mexico were postponed on Sunday following a surge of violence near Guadalajara, a city set to host some matches for the 2026 World Cup. This unrest erupted after a military operation resulted in the death of cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, also known as “El Mencho.”
In response to the turmoil, Liga MX officials decided to cancel two major league games—Querétaro against Juárez FC in the men’s league and a women’s match between Chivas and América. Additionally, two second-division games were also suspended due to security concerns.
The disturbances stemmed from military actions earlier in the day in Tapalpa, Jalisco, located about two hours from Guadalajara.
Mexican authorities confirmed that Oseguera, a former police officer who ascended to the leadership of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), was killed during these operations.
In the wake of his death, vehicles were set on fire, and highways were obstructed across nearly a dozen Mexican states, as reported by officials.
Guadalajara, the heart of Jalisco state, is scheduled to host four matches during the 2026 World Cup. These include two games featuring South Korea, along with matches involving Mexico, Spain, Uruguay, and Colombia.
Mexico’s national team remains set to host Iceland in a friendly on Wednesday at Corregidora Stadium in Querétaro.
As of Sunday, the Mexican soccer federation had not announced any changes to that match.
Not all sporting events were affected. Organizers of the Mexican Open in Acapulco said the ATP tournament would begin Monday at the GNP Arena as planned.
“The tournament’s operation continues as normal,” organizers of the tournament said in a statement.
Oseguera had carried a $15 million U.S. bounty and rose to prominence following the arrest of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the former head of the Sinaloa Cartel. Over the past decade and a half, CJNG expanded from a regional criminal group into a global trafficking network operating across much of Mexico from its stronghold in Jalisco.
“I’ve just been informed that Mexican security forces have killed ‘El Mencho,’ one of the bloodiest and most ruthless drug kingpins,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said in a post on X. “This is a great development for Mexico, the US, Latin America, and the world. The good guys are stronger than the bad guys.”
The Mexican Defense Department said the operation was conducted as part of bilateral coordination and cooperation with the U.S., and that U.S. authorities provided complementary intelligence that contributed to El Mencho’s killing.
After El Mencho’s death, cartel members burned cars and blocked roads in nearly a dozen Mexican states.
The Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación is considered the most powerful cartel in Mexico, with an estimated 19,000 members and operations across 21 of the country’s 32 states.
The Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
