Mexico City is preparing to experience one of the busiest days of the 2026 World Cup. The match between Mexico and England, scheduled for this Sunday at 6:00 p.m. (Guatemala), activated a special security operation that will mobilize 40,000 public servants in different parts of the capital.
The deployment responds, mainly, to the incidents recorded after the Mexican team qualified for the round of 16, when four people died during the celebrations in the vicinity of the Angel of Independence.
The head of Government of Mexico City, Clara Brugada, reported that the operation will be made up of 17 thousand police officers and 24 thousand public servants from areas such as Civil Protection, Firefighters, Health and Emergency Assistance.
The largest device will be concentrated on Paseo de la Reforma and the Ángel de la Independencia, considered the main meeting point for Mexican fans during the tournament.
Around 14 thousand public servants will work in that area, including 6 thousand police officers and 8 thousand workers from different departments of the capital’s Government.
The authorities announced a special security perimeter around the monument and warned that access will be restricted when the maximum authorized capacity is reached.
The Secretary of Citizen Security, Pablo Vázquez, reported that the limit will be 25 thousand people. Once that number is reached, fans will be directed to other sectors of Paseo de la Reforma to avoid risk concentrations.
The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, supported the operation and asked the population to follow the instructions of the authorities. In addition, he explained that additional screens will be installed along Paseo de la Reforma to distribute attendees and reduce pressure on the Angel of Independence.
The reinforcement of measures occurs after authorities confirmed the death of four people during the celebrations for Mexico’s victory over Ecuador. Three died from asphyxiation and one more later died in a hospital after suffering cardiorespiratory arrest.
With the Mexican team once again in a direct elimination phase and a rival of the magnitude of England, the authorities consider that the influx of fans could exceed that registered in previous World Cup matches, so the operation seeks to prevent new emergencies without affecting the atmosphere of celebration that accompanies the tournament.