Fans storm World Cup fan festival in Mexico, police use pepper spray

1 Jul 2026 • 1:21 PM MYT
DPA International
DPA International

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Image from: Fans storm World Cup fan festival in Mexico, police use pepper spray
Supporters of Mexico national team cheer outside Mexico City Stadium ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Mexico and Ecuador. Josue Perez/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Hundreds of people stormed a fan festival in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey ahead of World Cup co-hosts Mexico's knockout match against Ecuador in Mexico City, media reports said on Tuesday.

Police used pepper spray, according to the reports. Broadcaster Telediario said several people were injured in the scuffle. There was initially no official information from the authorities.

After the grounds of Parque Fundidora reached their maximum capacity of around 100,000 people, access points were closed, the newspaper El Norte reported.

That prompted fans to try to force open gates, climb over fences or knock them down, the paper said.

In Mexico City, hundreds of thousands of people gathered on Zócalo square and along the grand boulevard Paseo de la Reforma to watch the match. Fans there also tried to storm the fan festival in the city's historic centre.

Elsewhere, in the city of Guadalajara, several fans were detained after disturbances at a fan festival, according to broadcaster Milenio.

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