Mexico will double security and limit capacity at the monument known as the “Angel of Independence” and at the fan festival in Mexico City’s main square for the Mexico-England World Cup match on Sunday, after four people died during celebrations following Mexico’s victory over Ecuador earlier this week.
Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada announced the measures on Friday when she presented the pre- and post-match security plan following the deaths of four fans from asphyxiation and cardiac arrest.
As the host city of the World Cup and with the team progressing further than it has in four decades, Mexican fans have taken to the streets to watch the matches and celebrate their victories after being priced out of stadiums due to the exorbitant cost of tickets. Mexican authorities have assured onlookers that the country is safe and that they have taken all security measures to accommodate the country following an attack in Guadalajara in February following the death of a cartel boss that raised concerns.
The decision to strengthen security comes after two women, aged 19 and 44, and a 48-year-old man died of asphyxiation on June 30 in the streets near the central Paseo de la Reforma. Emergency services also treated a 25-year-old man for epilepsy, a seizure and gastrointestinal bleeding. The man died shortly afterwards in hospital from cardiac arrest.
The Mexico City attorney general’s office has opened an investigation into the four deaths, which is still ongoing.
Brugada told the press that on Sunday there will be free access to the Monument to the Independence, popularly known as the “Angel”, and the Zócalo, but with limited capacity for everyone’s safety.
Mexico City’s Public Security Minister Pablo Vázquez announced that only 25,000 people will be allowed into the Angel Monument, a popular spot for fans to celebrate team victories. Once that limit is reached, fans will be directed to other locations along Paseo de la Reforma, where multiple screens will be set up to watch the match and festivities.
A similar procedure will be followed in the Zócalo, the city’s main square, where access will also be closed once capacity is reached. Attendees will then be asked to go to one of more than 50 designated viewing areas in Mexico City to watch the match.
Security along Paseo de la Reforma will be reinforced with 6,000 officers, double the number deployed on June 30, Vázquez explained. There will be 7,500 police officers around the Azteca Stadium, while 3,300 will be deployed in the Zócalo.
Vázquez explained that a security perimeter will be established in the areas near the Angel of Independence to control the flow of people. Street vendors and delivery people are not allowed. There will also be strategic closures of the Metro and Metrobus lines near Paseo de la Reforma.
Mexico City’s government secretary, César Cravioto, announced that from the early morning of July 5 until the following day, the sale of alcoholic beverages will be prohibited on the streets of the city center. Consumption is only permitted in banquet halls, restaurants, hotels, private clubs, cinemas, theaters and auditoriums.
The city’s Minister of Civil Protection, Myriam Urzúa, urged fans to avoid the crowd games that have become popular, including «Want to Fly!», in which people are thrown into the air and caught by the crowd, and «Shall We Swim!», in which the crowd moves in unison to the song popularized by the character Dory in the Disney film «Finding Nemo.»
Published on July 4, 2026
