With just months to go before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Mexico will co-host with the United States and Canada, a deadly attack at a community football game has intensified worries about safety in one of the host nations.
On Sunday, eleven people were shot dead during a local football match in Loma de Flores, near Salamanca in Guanajuato state. The attack has shaken a region where grassroots sports are promoted to steer young people away from criminal influences.
“We no longer know where to find peace,” said Norma Barron, an organiser of the local league targeted in the attack.
The shooting occurred late Sunday afternoon as families gathered to watch the match. Witnesses said armed men arrived in at least three vehicles and opened fire. Barron, an activist working on cases of missing Mexicans, was in Oaxaca at the time. Her adult son was at the game and called her during the attack.
By Monday, the scene bore grim evidence of the violence: bloodstains on the pitch, scattered clothing, candles, and abandoned cars left by fleeing spectators. Authorities confirmed 11 dead and 10 injured, including a woman and a minor. Residents said the attack lasted 15–20 minutes.
Initial investigations suggest the shooting stemmed from a dispute between rival criminal gangs. At least five victims were members of a private security company guarding the event, allegedly linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Officials suspect the attackers were from the rival Santa Rosa de Lima cartel, which is embroiled in ongoing conflicts over fuel theft, drug trafficking, and extortion in Guanajuato. Signs left at the scene reportedly pointed to the gang feud.
The massacre highlights the high level of violence in Guanajuato, an industrial hub that remains one of Mexico’s most dangerous states. Despite President Claudia Sheinbaum’s claim that the national murder rate has dropped to its lowest level in a decade, Guanajuato’s rate stands at 38.84 per 100,000—more than double the national average. The state has previously experienced deadly attacks at social gatherings, including a Christmas party in December 2023 and a poolside shooting in April 2023.
In response, Guanajuato Governor Libia Garcia announced a joint state and federal security operation to address the violence in the area.