Soccer matches postponed after Mexico kills cartel leader ‘El Mencho’ near World Cup host

‘The Big Weekend Show’ co-hosts discuss unrest in Mexico after a military operation led to the death of cartel leader ‘El Mencho’ on ‘The Big Weekend Show.’

Four professional soccer matches in Mexico were postponed Sunday after violence flared near Guadalajara — one of the country’s host cities for the 2026 World Cup — in the wake of a military operation that left cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as "El Mencho," dead.

Liga MX officials removed two top-flight fixtures from the schedule — Querétaro’s matchup against Juárez FC in the men’s league and the women’s showdown between Chivas and América — and also called off two second-division contests amid security concerns.

The disruption followed operations earlier in the day in Tapalpa, Jalisco, roughly two hours southwest of Guadalajara. Mexican authorities said Oseguera, a former police officer who rose to lead the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), was killed during the operation.

In the aftermath, vehicles were set ablaze and highways were blocked across nearly a dozen Mexican states, according to officials.

MAJOR DRUG LORD 'EL MENCHO' KILLED IN MEXICAN MILITARY OPERATION WITH US INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT

Vehicles drive past a burning bus used as a roadblock by organized crime following a federal operation in which Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, commonly known as "El Mencho," was killed. (Gabriel Trujillo/Reuters)

Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state, is slated to stage four matches during the 2026 World Cup, including two involving South Korea. Mexico, Spain, Uruguay and Colombia are also scheduled to play at the venue.

Mexico’s national team remains set to host Iceland in a friendly Wednesday at Corregidora Stadium in Querétaro. As of Sunday, the