Three people died in Mexico City during massive World Cup celebrations after Mexico’s knockout win over Ecuador, authorities said Wednesday, as festivities turned deadly amid overcrowded streets near the capital’s iconic Angel of Independence.
The Mexico City Health Secretariat said the victims, a 44-year-old man, a 19-year-old woman and a 48-year-old woman, died from suffocation after emergency responders were called to multiple locations along Paseo de la Reforma, where tens of thousands had gathered to celebrate.
Two were pronounced dead after resuscitation attempts at the scene, while the third died later in hospital.
The celebrations followed Mexico’s 2-0 victory over Ecuador in the Round of 32, a result that sent the co-hosts into the last 16 and ended a four-decade wait for a World Cup knockout win.
Streets across the capital filled quickly as fans poured into closed-off zones set up for public viewing and celebrations.
Images shared on social media showed jubilant crowds chanting and waving flags, but also paramedics treating unconscious fans on the ground as congestion intensified in tightly packed areas around the boulevard.
Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada expressed condolences to the victims’ families and urged residents to celebrate with caution and responsibility as investigations into the circumstances continue.
Separately, violence also erupted during a public viewing in Yautepec in Morelos state, where armed attackers killed at least two people and injured several others during a live broadcast of the same match, according to local officials. Authorities said the attack occurred at a neighborhood football pitch crowded with families. Officials have not released a confirmed motive.
In another incident tied to recent celebrations, a man who drove into a crowd of fans in Cabo San Lucas following Mexico’s earlier win later died from injuries sustained after being beaten by bystanders, local officials said. It remains unclear whether the crash was intentional.
