Robot dogs will join the police ranks in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, when the 2026 World Cup comes to Monterrey’s BBVA Stadium, giving officers four mechanical first-responders at one of the tournament’s three sites in Mexico.
Authorities in Guadalupe — a municipality in the Monterrey metro area that includes the stadium — have formed a new K9-X unit made up of four quadruped robots that will patrol in and around the venue, renamed Monterrey Stadium for the World Cup.
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The site is scheduled for three group-stage matches and one round-of-32 game from June 14-29, plus it will co-host a six-team play-in tournament March 23-31 to determine the final two World Cup berths. Akron Stadium in greater Guadalajara will be the other host.
The robots, operated remotely much like drones or video game characters, are designed as first-responders only.
Officials say they have no weapons — unlike the rifle-wielding DogBot that joined the state of Zacatecas’ security force last year — but rather utilize video cameras, night-vision lenses, speakers and two-way communication systems to detect unusual behavior and spot suspicious objects.
The automatons then broadcast orders and relay live images to police.
“These K9-X robot dogs will support the police with initial interventions, using video footage and ultimately entering high-risk areas,” Guadalupe Mayor Héctor García said at a news conference, adding that they will step in if there’s a fight or a situation “involving an intoxicated person.”
García said the idea took shape after two officers were killed on patrol last year, prompting the question, “How can we ensure that some kind of technological system enters first [before] the human beings.”
The municipality spent about 2.5 million pesos (US $145,700) on the four units, which each require a human operator from the local Security and Citizen Protection Secretariat.
Already the K9-X dogs have been tested in real conditions.
During a CONCACAF Champions Cup soccer match between the Monterrey Rayados and Xelajú from Guatemala on Wednesday, the robots patrolled entrances, common areas and a pedestrian bridge; checked corridors inside the stadium; and scanned the undersides of vehicles around the complex (although it wasn’t quite the same, since the crowd was only about 10,000 as compared to the more than 53,000 expected for World Cup matches).
Authorities say they will also work alongside new surveillance drones and anti-drone systems as part of Guadalupe’s broader World Cup security plan.
The robot pack joins a growing cast of mechanical canines in northern Mexico: the aforementioned DogBot in Zacatecas and the AI-powered Waldog in Monterrey who roams neighborhoods to promote animal welfare and responsible pet ownership.
In Guadalupe, the robotic dogs will be doing more than just that; however, they won’t go beyond surveillance tactics.
“We have excellent police officers and cutting-edge technology to ensure the safety of Guadalupe residents,” García said.
With reports from ESPN Deportes, Expansión, Wired and El País
