One of the 2026 World Cup's host cities in Mexico is seeing a concerning trend with less than two months to go.
Residents of Guadalajara, a metropolis in Jalisco state beset by drug violence and thousands of missing persons cases, are feeling more and more vulnerable.
According to a national public safety study released on Friday by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi), nine out of ten locals, or 90.2%, believe that the situation in the area is insecure.
According to Inegi, that represents a "statistically significant difference" from 79.2% of those polled in December 2025.One of the three North American nations hosting the World Cup, Mexico, has raised serious security concerns in the run-up to the competition. Since federal forces conducted an operation in Jalisco in February to apprehend Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as "El Mencho," the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), these worries have increased in the Guadalajara metropolitan area.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration claims that the cartel is among Mexico's "most powerful and ruthless criminal organisations." Only a few weeks into President Donald Trump's second term, the US declared it a terrorist organization.The impression of vulnerability has also grown in Zapopan, a city in the Guadalajara metro area where the stadium hosting World Cup matches is located.Seventy percent of respondents to the city's most recent survey, which was conducted beginning on February 23—just one day after "El Mencho" passed away—said they felt afraid.
Compared to December, when almost 54% of respondents said they felt dangerous, that number is more than 16 percentage points higher. The percentage was 44.6% in the first quarter of 2025.
Even if Puerto Vallarta's perception of insecurity is lower than the country's average of 61.5%, Friday's study revealed a notable rise.

The well-known resort city actually experienced the biggest growth in the country, jumping from 32% in December of last year to 59.9%, or over 28 percentage points. This indicates that there are now nearly twice as many people who feel less protected.
Guadalajara is the second most unsafe city in the nation, with a 90.2% level of insecurity. In Guanajuato, another state beset by organised crime, it behind only Irapuato (92.1%). With 413 victims of deliberate killings and five incidents of femicide, Guanajuato currently tops the national record of violent deaths in 2026.
What about the other host cities in Mexico?

The two towns nearest Banorte Stadium, which will host the World Cup for the third time, in Mexico City have had comparatively steady levels of insecurity.
Over 44% of respondents reported feeling insecure in the Coyoacán borough, down from 47.2% in December. According to the study released on Friday, the Tlalpan borough had a minor gain, going from 55.7% in December to 57.9%.
Monterrey, the capital of the state of Nuevo León, will host the third World Cup in Mexico. 59.7% of respondents in this city reported feeling unsafe, a significant drop from 67.4% in December.