Two Chinese fans robbed at gunpoint in Mexico City during World Cup visit

MEXICO CITY: What was meant to be an exciting World Cup experience quickly turned into a nightmare for two Chinese football fans after they were robbed at gunpoint in Mexico City.

World Cup fever kicked off last week, drawing massive crowds to the Mexican capital for the opening match on Thursday (Jun 11), which saw co-host Mexico beat South Africa 2-0.

Wang Kun and Li Zhe arrived in Mexico City on the evening of Jun 10. The men had been in a vehicle on their way to the city centre from Benito Juárez International Airport when they were robbed by two masked men at gunpoint.

“Just experienced a robbery for the first time in my life, and at gunpoint,” Wang said in a video shared on Facebook, adding that the barrel of the gun had been pointed at his head.

The masked robbers, wearing helmets, had also taken their passports, bags, laptops, cash and luxury watches, he said.

Wang and Li’s ordeal was widely reported across Chinese news outlets and social media platforms.

“It’s good that you’re back home safe,” wrote a WeChat user named Xiao Ying. 

Others left sarcastic comments on Wang flashing his wealth by flying to Mexico to watch the World Cup.

“(He’s) really rich to be able to fly overseas to watch a football game,” another WeChat user, Kong Qian, wrote. “For us average citizens, we have to mull for hours whether it is worth to pay to watch the live broadcast.”

The Chinese Embassy in Mexico confirmed the robbery in a statement on their official WeChat account on Jun 12.

Embassy officials said they expressed concern to Mexican authorities and demanded that they “do their utmost” to find the robbers and take “concrete measures” to protect the safety of Chinese citizens in the country.

Citizens were also advised to be aware of their