Article by Maria Olteanu – Published on Thursday, 08 January 2026, 08:22 / Updated on Thursday, 08 January 2026 08:23
Ahead of this year's soccer World Cup, safety concerns are growing after hundreds of bags of human remains were found near Akron Stadium in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Mexico will host the World Championship alongside the United States of America and Canada.
Four group stage matches will be played at the Akron arena. The stadium, which is the home of Chivas de Guadalajara, will also host the intercontinental tie in March.
Concerns about Guadalajara's status as a World Cup host city have grown in recent weeks after more human remains were found there in the fall. As of 2022, more than 456 such bags have been discovered in the area surrounding Akron Stadium.
Uncertainty in Mexico before the World Cup
Discoveries occur especially during construction work for a new residential district. One of the most affected areas is Las Agujas, where workers found 290 bags. This area is just over 12 miles from Akron Stadium. Discoveries were also made in Zapopan, less than 10 kilometers away, and in Tlaquepaque, about 20 kilometers away, according to sport.aktuality.sk.
José Raúl Servin García, a member of the local search team, said: “Currently, we have about 456 bags and they are all near the Akron stadium, which will host the World Cup matches. Unfortunately, it is painful that the World Cup will be held here, when there is so much evil.”
The bodies are associated with criminal groups, the state of Jalisco being the seat of one of the most powerful Mexican cartels, called the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación. US President Donald Trump called it a “terrorist organization”. It is generally considered one of the most powerful Mexican cartels and is the “most aggressive in the country”.
In 2025, thousands of Mexicans marched to call attention to the more than 130,000 missing people, most of whom have not been seen since then-President Felipe Calderón began the “war on drugs.”
Jalisco leads all Mexican states in the number of disappearances and is among the top four states in terms of overall crime rate. According to Mexico's National Search Commission, between 2009 and 2018, up to 7,376 people are believed to have disappeared. Since then, the situation has worsened, with a further 9,593 reported disappearances between 2018 and 2021, placing this state among the most affected in the country.
In light of the growing number of disappearances, questions are being raised about whether Jalisco is ready enough to host the soccer World Cup matches, which will begin in June. Authorities announced a series of increased security measures, including 3,000 additional surveillance cameras, armored vehicles, metal detectors and the deployment of the National Guard.
