FIFA president Gianni Infantino was in Guadalajara’s Akron Stadium on Thursday night to witness Jamaica’s victory over New Caledonia in a World Cup qualifier.
Just 34 days after a military operation near Guadalajara resulted in the death of notorious drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, prompting violent repercussions across the country, Infantino’s presence demonstrated FIFA’s commitment to Mexico as host country of the World Cup.
El estadio de Chivas está lleno para ver un Jamaica vs Nueva Caledonia un jueves por la noche, ya se siente el espíritu mundialista.
México será una fiesta jajajaja qué hermoso es el futbol carajo.
— Roberto Haz (@tudimebeto) March 27, 2026
On Monday, the FIFA president is scheduled to meet with President Claudia Sheinbaum at the National Palace to review Mexico’s ongoing preparations for the World Cup which will kick off in earnest at Azteca Stadium on June 11.
Infantino arrived fashionably late to Akron Stadium — he had attended Bolivia’s 2-1 Thursday afternoon win over Suriname at Monterrey’s BBVA Stadium— joining nearly 41,000 fans witnessing Jamaica’s win. He sat in a box seat alongside Mexican Soccer Federation president Mikel Arriola and Guadalajara Chivas owner Amaury Vergara.
Thanks to an 18th-minute goal from Jamaica striker Bailey Cadamarteri, the “Reggae Boyz” move on to face the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday — also in Akron Stadium — for a spot in the 64-nation World Cup field.
The outcome of the match was less critical than the logistics and security operations, both of which were carried out smoothly. FIFA officials will keep a close watch on Tuesday’s match as well.
Thursday’s game marked the first major international sporting event in Guadalajara since last month’s violence, following a March 7 derby between the city’s two first-division clubs that attracted 36,767 fans to the nearby Jalisco Stadium. That game also went off without a hitch.
Infantino is expected to attend Mexico’s friendly against Portugal on Saturday, a game that will serve as the re-opening of Azteca Stadium which has been undergoing an extensive facelift since June 2024.
There have been concerns that the renovations would not be completed in time for the World Cup — five games, including the Cup’s inaugural match, are scheduled at Azteca Stadium — so stadium operations will be evaluated closely.
In Thursday’s contest in Monterrey, Bolivia’s come-from-behind victory sent “La Verde” into a final qualifier against Iraq on Tuesday.
With reports from El Diario de Coahuila, El Informador and ESPN
