The soccer community has lived one of the saddest days in recent times not only for Mexico but for every fan of the beautiful game. On Saturday, March 5, Estadio La Corregidora became the epicenter of a barbaric episode as the Liga MX game between Queretaro and Atlas was interrupted by a brutal brawl between home and away supporters.
The shocking scenes went around the world as fans had to invade the pitch to protect themselves from the hostile situation taking place on the stands and its surroundings which has reportedly left 26 people injured.
Unsurprisingly, this case of fan violence was firmly condemned around the world and Queretaro were severely punished by the Liga MX and Mexico's Football Federation (FMF). Had there not been such a harsh response from the authorities, Mexico could have lost the rights to host the 2026 World Cup, said Liga MX president Mikel Arriola.
Violence in Queretaro almost cost Mexico 2026 World Cup hosting rights, Liga MX president says
"It [the involvement in the 2026 World Cup hosting] was at risk if Mexico didn't resolve and didn't show a capacity of resolving our own industry's problems," Mikel Arriola told ESPN.
"Because if not, they [CONCACAF, FIFA] would have imposed the solutions on us. Yes, it [Mexico's World Cup involvement] was at risk, but I think after [Tuesday's] assembly and having informed FIFA of our decisions, I believe we can continue very forcefully going forward."
The authorities took their time to make their final decision in response to the violent scenes at Estadio La Corregidora. On Tuesday, it was announced that Queretaro will play their home games behind close doors at a neutral venue for one year and the supporters group is banned from home games for 3 years, among many other sanctions. Mexico is one of the three hosting countries of the 2026 World Cup alongside the United States and Canada.
