Cartel Chaos in Mexico: Match suspended as players flee after gunfire ahead of World Cup

A football match in Mexico was halted after gunshots rang out outside the stadium as cartel violence exploded across the country.

The clash between Necaxa Women and Queretaro Women was stopped early in the second half when news of the death of cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes triggered chaos in the region.

El Mencho, head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNGC), was killed on Sunday in a special forces operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco — more than 250 km from Aguascalientes, where the match was being held.

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Despite the distance, violence quickly spread as cartel affiliates responded, setting vehicles ablaze and blocking highways. Videos from the Estadio Victoria, a 23,000-capacity stadium, show the referee blowing her whistle and signalling players to leave the field.

Players sprinted down the tunnel in fear, while the referee and lineswomen were among the last to exit, leaving the ball abandoned in the centre circle.

After a brief suspension, play resumed, with Necaxa securing a 2-1 victory in a match between the bottom two teams of the Mexican top flight, held in an already empty stadium.

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Outside the stadium, chaos persisted, with fires, blocked roads, and flight cancellations at Puerto Vallarta airport 550 km away.

Guadalajara, the nearest city to Aguascalientes, is set to host a World Cup match later this year, along with Mexico City and Monterrey, raising safety concerns ahead of the tournament.

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The JNGC, recently designated a foreign terrorist organisation, is one of Mexico’s most powerful and dangerous cartels, and El Mencho’s death is expected to provoke further instability.