MEXICO CITY — On Sunday, four major soccer matches were called off after the Mexican military killed the leader of a prominent drug cartel in a town near Guadalajara, one of the host cities for the World Cup.
The cancellations included two high-profile matchups: Queretaro vs. Juarez FC in the men’s league and Chivas vs. America in the women’s league, as well as two matches in the second division.
Meanwhile, Mexico’s national team is slated to play a friendly against Iceland on Wednesday at the Corregidora Stadium in Queretaro, and the Mexican soccer federation has yet to announce any changes to that event.
Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho, who led the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación, was injured in Tapalpa, Jalisco, roughly a two-hour drive southwest of Guadalajara, and succumbed to his injuries while being transported to Mexico City.
In the wake of his death, cartel affiliates retaliated by setting vehicles on fire and blocking roads in nearly a dozen states across Mexico.
Guadalajara is set to host four World Cup matches in June, including two featuring South Korea. Co-host Mexico, along with Spain, Uruguay, and Colombia will also compete in the city.
The CJNG cartel is recognized as the most powerful in Mexico, with an estimated membership of 19,000 and operations in 21 of the country’s 32 states. It has also been classified as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration.
The Mexican Open, an ATP tennis tournament, is set to commence on Monday at the GNP Arena in Acapulco, Guerrero. Organizers assured the public on Sunday that “the tournament is proceeding as planned.”