The president of FIFA (International Football Federation), Gianni Infantino, reaffirmed on Wednesday (25) that he is not considering transferring the World Cup playoff from Mexico to another location, despite the recent wave of violence in the country.
“No, no one needs to change anything. We are in constant contact with the Mexican presidency and the authorities. We have full confidence in the Mexican authorities, in President Claudia Sheinbaum and her team, and we fully support them,” Infantino told reporters at the new FIFA museum in Miami, Florida.
“Of course we are monitoring the situation, but we have full confidence that everything will go well”, insisted the director, who on Tuesday had already expressed his “satisfaction” in having Mexico as one of the three host countries for the World Cup, along with the United States and Canada.
Security concerns in the Latin American country, especially in the host city of Guadalajara in western Mexico, have resurfaced in recent days due to violent incidents that followed the death of the country’s top drug kingpin.
Dozens of deaths, burned vehicles, closed businesses, roadblocks and a climate of terror paralyzed much of the country on Sunday (22), in response to the death of Nemesio Oseguera, leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), during a military operation.
Mexico, whose government insists that fans will have “all guarantees” of safety at the World Cup, from June 11 to July 19, will first host a mini-tournament to decide the last two participating teams.
Bolivia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, New Caledonia, Jamaica and Suriname will compete for places in the World Cup in Guadalajara and Monterrey, from March 23 to 31.
“We live in a world where things happen, good things and bad things, situations arise. We don’t live on the moon. We live here, so we have to face it, we have to deal with it,” Infantino said of the incidents, which spread across 20 of Mexico’s 32 states.
“Mexico is a country passionate about football, and the Mexicans — the authorities, but also the people — will do everything possible to ensure that the World Cup and the playoff, which will be played in a month’s time, are a celebration of football,” he concluded.
