{"id":19455,"date":"2026-01-06T14:07:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T14:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/06\/fifa-assesses-security-concerns-ahead-of-2026-tournament-scrutiny-turns-to-mexicos-world-cup-host-city\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T14:07:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T14:07:02","slug":"fifa-assesses-security-concerns-ahead-of-2026-tournament-scrutiny-turns-to-mexicos-world-cup-host-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/06\/fifa-assesses-security-concerns-ahead-of-2026-tournament-scrutiny-turns-to-mexicos-world-cup-host-city\/","title":{"rendered":"FIFA assesses security concerns ahead of 2026 tournament, scrutiny turns to Mexico’s World Cup host city"},"content":{"rendered":"
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T<\/span>Insecurity is not a new problem in Mexico, where some rural and urban areas of the country are under constant siege from drug trafficking and face a highly complex situation. The chaotic situation in Mexico was known even before June 13, 2018, when FIFA decided that the United States, Canada, and Mexico would host the 2026 World Cup under the name United 2026. But five months before the World Cup begins, one of Mexico’s venues is in jeopardy.<\/p>\n
It was recently revealed that Adrian Corona, a businessman and president of Grupo Corona in Guadalajara, was killed in a gunfight that lasted about 15 minutes and involved seven vehicles, more than 30 hitmen and 200 shell casings.<\/p>\n
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Vini Junior and Real Madrid reveal their New Year’s resolutions<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
This set off alarm bells within FIFA regarding Mexico hosting the World Cup. Another detail to consider is former US President Donald Trump’s words regarding the arrest of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.<\/p>\n
Is Mexico’s Guadalajara state in danger of losing its World Cup bid?<\/h2>\n
The President of the United States has great diplomatic relations with Claudia Sheinbaum (President of Mexico) and commented that she is a good woman, but that cartels control Mexico. “We’re going to have to do something about Mexico,” Donald Trump has said several times, citing the possibility of a military invasion of Mexican territory into drug-trafficking strongholds, primarily Sinaloa, Michoac\u00e1n and Guerrero.<\/p>\n
But Jalisco is not immune to this, as one of the major cartels has its origins here. Before the attack on Adrian Corona there was no risk, but now the situation has changed.<\/p>\n
Before the World Cup draw in December last year, President Trump threatened to remove venues in his own country, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and New York, where the finals will be held, citing worsening security. But soccer’s governing body blocked this, with Concacaf president Victor Montagliani saying: “This is a FIFA tournament, it is FIFA’s jurisdiction and FIFA makes the decision.”<\/p>\n
What is FIFA’s position on the security insecurity in Mexico?<\/h2>\n
After the attack on the Mexican businessman, the FIFA secretariat in Zurich sent a formal inquiry to the organizers asking about the security situation in the city and what actions should be taken in cooperation with the Mexican government.<\/p>\n
The question itself indicates concern, and if the answer does not satisfy the governing body, it could endanger headquarters, especially due to pressure from the US government, where the president “won the first FIFA Peace Prize” to fulfill his most exquisite whims.<\/p>\n
Adrian Corona’s murder is not the only incident in Guadalajara that has caused FIFA to sound the alarm. A few weeks ago, up to 500 bags of bodies were discovered near the Estadio Akron, the World Cup venue in Guadalajara.<\/p>\n
The answer to “Can Mexico lose one or all of its World Cup sites?” will be determined by 2025. That was a firm no. But after the events in Venezuela, and with the international political climate under pressure after President Trump threw firecrackers at the Mexican government to fight cartels, the answer changed to “anything goes.” There is a lot of uncertainty five months before the opening match at the Estadio Azteca.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n