Numerous human remains have been found buried in Mexico City, near where the World Cup matches will take place later this year.
The discovery of the makeshift graves comes amid a rise in cartel violence, with more than 20 graves discovered in Guadalajara since last year, according to the New York Post.
So far, more than 500 bags of remains have been found in just four of the 22 graves, some just a few miles from Akron Stadium, one of the three World Cup venues in Mexico.
Between February and September 2025, 270 bags full of human remains were found in 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 País.
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 last decade, many of whom have been linked to cartel violence. Jaime Aguilar, of Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco, an organization that searches for missing people, told El País in December that the disappeared in Jalisco “are made to disappear.”
“This is so that it is not known, they want to erase all traces of the disappeared,” Aguilar added.
Aguilar said the upcoming World Cup has drawn attention to makeshift graves.
“All the findings are attracting attention because they are being linked to the World Cup. It is several kilometers away, but this is happening near a World Cup stadium,” Aguilar said.
Due to increased cartel violence, some residents have expressed skepticism about the possibility of hosting the World Cup.
“I don’t think they should host the World Cup here,” said local restaurant owner Hugo Pérez. “We have so many problems and they want to invest in the World Cup? With all the violence, it is not a good idea.”
Mexico has promised that the World Cup, which the Portuguese soccer federation will host at the end of March, will be a safe and secure event.
