With matches just months away, gruesome discoveries near Akron Stadium cast a shadow over Jalisco’s readiness and safety
Concerns are mounting over security and preparedness in the Mexican host city of Guadalajara ahead of next summer’s World Cup, following the grim discovery of hundreds of bags containing human remains in areas surrounding the Akron Stadium.
The stadium, home to the famed Chivas de Guadalajara, is scheduled to host four group-stage matches, including a pivotal game for Mexico’s national team, as well as a crucial inter-confederation playoff this March. However, the venue now finds itself at the heart of a deepening crisis.
Since 2022, search groups have recovered at least 456 bags of remains from sites around the city. The latest grisly find occurred in September during construction for a housing development in Las Agujas, an area roughly 20 kilometers from the stadium.
“We are now at about 456 bags, more or less, and all of this is near Akron Stadium,” said José Raúl Servin García, a member of a local search collective. “Unfortunately, it is painful that a World Cup will be held here while there is so much evil.”
The discoveries are linked to the violent operations of criminal cartels, particularly the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)—one of Mexico’s most powerful and aggressive criminal organizations, designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. Jalisco leads the nation in disappearances, with over 16,000 reported cases since 2009, a number that has surged in recent years.
The situation raises urgent questions about safety for the tens of thousands of fans expected to descend on the region in June. In response, authorities have announced enhanced security measures, including the deployment of 3,000 additional surveillance cameras, armoured vehicles, and National Guard units.
Yet for many locals and observers, the measures feel like a response to a profound and ongoing tragedy. Earlier this year, thousands marched across Mexico to draw attention to the nation’s more than 130,000 missing persons.
With the World Cup draw set for Friday and the global spotlight intensifying, Jalisco faces the daunting task of assuring the world of its safety while families continue to search for their loved ones in the shadows of a festival of football.
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