Government Official Slams Mexico's World Cup Schedule as "Outrageous"
Samuel García, the governor of Mexico's Nuevo León state, expressed his frustration following confirmation that the Mexican national squad will not compete in any matches at Monterrey, the state's designated host city, during their domestic 2026 World Cup fixtures.
The Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, which serves as the home ground for Liga MX club Rayados de Monterrey, is scheduled to host four matches throughout the 2026 World Cup. However, Mexico's national team will bypass the northeastern city entirely, opting instead to play two games in Mexico City and one in Guadalajara, located in Jalisco state, during the group phase.
Given that El Tri is assured three group stage encounters, many anticipated that Javier Aguirre's squad would compete at least once in each of the nation's three host venues. This expectation fell short, and García acknowledged his skepticism regarding the rationale behind this choice.
"This appears to be primarily an economic consideration [regarding El Tri's absence from Monterrey]," García stated to TUDN. "The national squad gains an advantage playing at [Estadio] Azteca due to its significantly larger capacity compared to the venues of Rayados and Chivas [Mexico's other two host stadiums].
"Naturally, I questioned, 'if Monterrey's venue has superior capacity, why is Mexico playing in Jalisco?' and they responded by citing weather conditions ... as though there's such a dramatic difference between Nuevo León and Jalisco.
"Clearly, these justifications fail to persuade me."
The Estadio BBVA will alternatively accommodate nations such as South Africa, South Korea, Japan and Tunisia on two occasions each. Several Mexican media sources indicated FIFA offered Monterrey mere "scraps," though Garcia reportedly remarked, "they handed us lemons, so we'll attempt to create lemonade."
Complete Schedule of 2026 World Cup Matches in Monterrey, Mexico
Date | Matchup | Round |
|---|---|---|
June 14, 2026 | Tunisia vs. Ukraine, Sweden, Poland or Albania | Group Stage |
June 20, 2026 | Japan vs. Tunisia | Group Stage |
June 24, 2026 | South Africa vs. South Korea | Group Stage |
June 29, 2026 | TBD | Round of 32 |
Mexican Governor Demands Compensation for Absence of El Tri World Cup Matches in Host City
García ultimately acknowledged that FIFA and Mexico's soccer federation operate with their own internal processes and justifications for excluding El Tri from Monterrey during the World Cup.
Nevertheless, García disclosed that he contacted federation president Mikel Arriola after the apparent World Cup oversight of his host city, seeking assurance that El Tri's leadership would make amends to supporters in Nuevo León.
"I reached out to Mikel and informed him 'you'll need to make this right,'" García explained. "The final schedule cannot be modified, that's set in stone, but I'm pushing for at least one [Mexico] exhibition match against a formidable national team to take place in Monterrey prior to the World Cup.
"I conveyed that if he didn't want supporters in Monterrey to harbor resentment, you [Mexico national team] must visit before the World Cup for an exhibition, and that's what they're currently arranging."
Mexico's men's national squad has never competed at the Estadio BBVA since its inauguration in 2015. The hope now is that El Tri will make its inaugural appearance at the "Steel Giant" during their final preparations before next summer's tournament.
Despite how events transpired, García concluded the discussion by addressing what he and every El Tri supporter considers most crucial.
"I hope Mexico performs excellently [in the 2026 World Cup], that's what matters most."
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