Fears for World Cup fans after violence

THE violence sparked by El Mencho's death comes just months before the 2026 World Cup, which Mexico is co-hosting with the United States and Canada.

- BY CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN

It should be a time of celebration - a global showcase for a country that is staging football's greatest tournament for a third time. Instead, it will arrive amid renewed security fears.

Guadalajara, which has been rocked by unrest after the drug lord's death, is one of the country's three Mexican host cities, alongside Mexico City and Monterrey.

The England team could yet play a last-16 tie on Mexican soil, depending on how the group stages unfold.