Fact-Check: Are FIFA World Cup Matches Being Moved From Mexico Following Cartel Unrest? | Football News

Last Updated:February 23, 2026, 13:01 IST

Nemesio Oseguera’s death sparks unrest in Mexico ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026, fueling rumours of venue changes.

German Berterame celebrates with teammate midfielder #06 Erik Lira in friendly game vs Bolivia (Picture credit: AFP)

The death of Nemesio Oseguera, the 59-year-old leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, who was a drug mafia, has led to massive unrest in Mexico, less than four months before the country is supposed to host the first match of the FIFA World Cup.

In the aftermath of Oseguera’s death, vehicles were set ablaze and masked gunmen blocked highways across several states. Amidst this tense atmosphere, social media was flooded with viral claims suggesting that FIFA was considering moving the 2026 World Cup games out of Mexico.

This year’s World Cup kicks off in June, still months removed from the operation against the drug lord. The tournament is scheduled to be held across the US, Canada and Mexico, but the recent surge in violence has sparked online speculation about potential venue changes.

“Hearing credible chatter that, after the accelerating and expanding cartel violence across Mexico today, FIFA is considering moving the upcoming World Cup games in Mexico to additional sites in the US and Canada,” a user tweeted in the wee hours of Monday.

Although similar posts have circulated online, they all stem from unrelated or unreliable accounts. Neither FIFA nor Mexican authorities have issued any statement suggesting that World Cup games will be moved from the nation after the cartel leader’s death.

Canada said that it was monitoring the situation and advised Canadians in Mexico to ‘keep a low profile and follow the advice of local authorities’.

It requested citizens in Michoacan, Guerrero and Jalisco states to shelter in place, citing ‘shootouts with security forces and explosions’.

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