Loads of human remains were found buried in Mexico City near where the World Cup games will take place later this year.
The discovery of the makeshift graves comes amid an upsurge in cartel violence, with over 20 grave sites being discovered around Guadalajara since last year, per the New York Post.
So far, more than 500 bags of remains have been found in just four of the 22 grave sites — some just miles from Akron Stadium, one of Mexico’s three World Cup locations.
Between February and September 2025, 270 bags filled with human remains were found at Las Agujas, a 54-acre property located in Zapopan — a city next to Guadalajara — and one of the largest mass graves found, according to El Pais.
Since that grim discovery by construction workers, more bodies have been found in the area, including 48 bags of remains unearthed in a clandestine grave in Zapopan in October, CBS News reported.
An estimated 130,000 people have disappeared in Mexico over the past decade, many of whom have been linked to cartel violence. Jaime Aguilar of the Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco, an organization that searches for missing persons, told El País in December that the missing in Jalisco “are made to vanish.”
“This is so it won’t be known; they want to erase all traces of the disappeared,” added Aguilar.
Aguilar said the upcoming World Cup has drawn attention to the makeshift grave sites.
“All the findings are gaining attention, because they’re being linked to the World Cup. It’s several miles away, but this is happening near a World Cup stadium,” Aguilar said.
Due to the uptick in cartel violence, some residents have expressed skepticism about hosting the World Cup.
“I don’t think they should host the World Cup here,” said local restaurant owner Hugo Peréz. “We have so many problems, and they want to invest in the World Cup? With all the violence, it’s not a good idea.”
Mexico has promised that the World Cup, which will host the football federation for Portugal at the end of March, will be a secure and safe event.
