Is Mexico prepared if an earthquake happens during the World Cup? Understand

On the afternoon of October 17, 1989, the San Francisco Bay Area seemed quiet and empty. That day, thousands of residents were watching, from their homes, bars and restaurants, the confrontation between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics, when they were suddenly surprised by an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale.

The tremor was felt just minutes before the start of the third game and interrupted the most anticipated sporting event of the year for baseball lovers.

According to authorities, the earthquake that day left 67 people dead and severe material damage, including damage to the Candlestick Park stadium, where the World Series classic was being played.

The stadium withstood the impact of the earthquake, as did countless buildings and homes in the Bay Area, preventing an even greater tragedy. However, after the disaster, the city's building codes were modified and there was an improvement in preparedness and response to future disasters.

What happened that afternoon in San Francisco, almost 37 years ago, demonstrated that a tremor can occur at the least expected moment, including during a global sporting celebration. It also made clear that better preparation can help reduce risks and save lives.

A reflection that today gains even more relevance for Mexico, a country located in one of the areas with the greatest seismic activity in the world and which will be one of the venues, together with the United States and Canada, of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Tourists would be paralyzed, not knowing what to do
The global event, which will begin on June 11, will attract thousands of foreigners, many of them with no experience in dealing with an earthquake, and will test the operational and response capacity of the Mexican authorities.

"I hope they are taking into account the possibility of an earthquake during the 2026 FIFA World Cup", warns architect Iván Salcido Macías, who recalls that, during the Mexico 86 football World Cup, the marks of the earthquake of September 19, 1985, considered one of the most devastating in the country's recent history, were still fresh.

"The residents of Mexico City are well aware that it can shake at any moment, but those who come from outside cannot," says the researcher and chronicler of the city's seismic history.

As far as 2026 is concerned, Mexico has already recorded two real seismic alerts. On January 2, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake occurred with its epicenter 4 kilometers southwest of San Marcos, in Guerrero, according to the National Seismological Service.

Three months later, on May 4, the seismic alert was activated again after another 5.6 magnitude earthquake near Pinotepa Nacional, in the state of Oaxaca.

Salcido considers it very difficult to predict how tourists who have never experienced an earthquake would react. "I believe that many will be paralyzed, and that is where the importance of the authorities' level of preparation for a contingency of this type comes into play," he says.

And he adds: "People in Mexico City themselves get scared, nervous and react with fear; imagine who would go through this for the first time. That's why you need to anticipate, not wait for things to happen."

Members of the Mexican Army, experts in toxic substances, participate in the First National Earthquake Simulation Mexico 2026, held in Mexico City, Mexico, on May 6, 2026. - Photo by Gerardo Vieyra/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Mexico City's emergency protocols
Architect Myriam Urzúa Venegas, secretary of Comprehensive Risk Management and Civil Protection of Mexico City, says that the institution she heads will distribute thousands of leaflets in airports, hotels, restaurants and other public spaces, with information on what to do before, during and after an earthquake.

They will also be distributed in areas where the so-called FIFA Fan Fest will take place.

She recommends that, if a person is on the second floor, it is best to leave along the indicated routes, "without pushing, without shouting and without running", until you reach the concentration point outside the building.

"If we are on the third floor or higher, the most reasonable thing is to remain there until the earthquake ends. And, once finished, then descend in an orderly manner and head to the meeting point", he explains.

Urzúa Venegas states that they have maintained contact with companies and property managers located in vulnerable areas of the city, where a large part of the tourists arriving for the World Cup will also be staying. "We are constantly indicating which are the highest risk locations in the capital", he states.

Architect Salcido highlights that, in general, buildings designed after the 1985 earthquake had a better response than those built between the 1960s and 1980s. "At that time, structures were used that, today we know, are not suitable for resisting tremors", he explains.

Still, he considers that there are properties that still need intervention by the authorities. "I would expect that in the next earthquake, regardless of when it occurs, we will have less damage than we previously had in these vulnerable areas," he says.

Mexico and the culture of prevention
"There have been three September 19ths in which we have had earthquakes, it seems like a cursed date", says Salcido Macías, who comments that the last earthquake, in 2022, did not cause destruction, despite being 7.8 degrees.

"There we realized that, in fact, construction regulations work. The city did not suffer damage from an earthquake that had the same magnitude as the one that toppled the Angel of Independence monument in 1957, at this level", says the chronicler.

However, he warns that there is still a need to better train those responsible for responding to emergencies, in addition to improving equipment and expanding rescue groups.

"We will never be able to say that we are ready. The earthquakes continue to cause damage even to the Japanese, who, according to people, are a world reference in civil protection."

Structural engineer Sergio Alcocer Martínez says that Mexico has improved in terms of emergency management and prevention culture.

"Today we review construction regulations and standards every six years. The last update was in 2023 and we are working on 2029", explains the researcher at the Engineering Institute of UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico).

Alcocer Martínez remembers that, in the past, construction standards were only revised when a major earthquake occurred. Now this is done regularly and periodically, he says.

However, he considers that there is still room for improvement, especially with regard to the application of protocols. "What remains is to insist on its application by those involved", he states.

The capital's Civil Protection Secretariat states that the city has a seismic emergency protocol, regardless of the World Cup, which provides for the mobilization of 5,000 employees, Cóndor helicopters from the capital's police, which fly over the entire city immediately after the occurrence of a tremor, in addition to coordination with the army for possible evacuation, rescue and assistance to the homeless.

In the same sense, he highlights that Mexico City carries out three emergency drills per year. In the last one, he says, around 8.6 million people participated, including public and private schools, offices, businesses, universities and the transport system.

Salcido Macías, however, considers that the population is no longer taking these simulations seriously. "For a lot of people, it just means another break. They don't check their homes or talk to their families about what to do in case of an emergency," he laments.

A Colossus three times champion
The stadium known worldwide as Estadio Azteca, today called Mexico City Stadium, hosted its first World Cup in 1970. Then, in 1987 and now in 2026. Its construction began in 1962 and it was inaugurated four years later.

For this World Cup, the so-called "Colossus of Santa Úrsula" was reinforced with metal structures. "They needed to do this because the seismic conditions at that time have already changed," says Alcocer Martínez.

However, the expert emphasizes that it is not enough to simply guarantee good structural integrity. "What we have seen when we go to places with large crowds are civil protection warnings that explain what to do in the event of an earthquake," he warns.

They also hope that, during the games, there will be well-trained and qualified civil protection personnel inside the stadium, and that they will know how to react and how to guide the thousands of fans who will watch the five World Cup matches that will be played at Azteca.

The structural engineer states that this also applies to the Guadalajara stadium, another of the World Cup venues, which is also located in a seismic zone. Four games will be played in this stadium, the same number as those that will take place in the Monterrey City stadium, although there is a low probability of seismic movements in this location.

He explains that the Guadalajara stadium, being newer, has wider corridors, which makes it easier to get out compared to the Azteca, designed with the logic of the 1960s. "Fear makes people run. That's when someone can trip on the stairs out of panic or run and end up running over someone else", says Salcido.

Urzúa guarantees that all Azteca spaces are being comprehensively reviewed. "Even straightening a pipe that is incorrectly placed and could cause someone to fall", he says.

The challenge in the face of an emergency
Alcocer Martínez says that one of the biggest challenges is how to care for the injured. To achieve this, it would be necessary to have a certain number of ambulances in the stadiums.

"There will certainly be outbreaks of hysteria in people who have never experienced a tremor. So they need to be prepared. It is not the same thing to treat a euphoric person, in a state of hysteria because of the tremor, than to treat someone injured because they cut themselves or tripped", warns the expert.

To these notes, the Civil Protection Secretariat responds: "We have ambulances, we have tents with personnel from the Department of Health, we have tents with firefighters who will be there and we also have a special Civil Protection tent that will be located on the outskirts of the venue."

Something very similar will be implemented in Guadalajara, through a prevention plan that includes risk inspections at the Akron stadium, mass evacuation simulations, seismic monitoring, electrical systems, among other measures, as reported at the end of April by the State Civil Protection and Fire Unit of the state of Jalisco.

Alcocer Martínez points out that another problem is a possible cut in the electricity supply. "Except for the opening match, the other games will be at night and, if there is a blackout in the stadium in the middle of an earthquake, you can imagine people's reaction", warns Alcocer.

Urzúa guarantees that they are working together with the Federal Electricity Commission on an action plan to quickly restore electricity if the supply fails. "They would immediately be connected to other electrical service centers," he says.

Ball rolling on seismic ground
"In Mexico City, the World Cup ball will roll on complicated ground," says Salcido Macías, who has a YouTube channel about earthquake stories.

"Earthquakes, in general, originate with epicenters on the coast, more than 300 kilometers away. So, if it were hard ground, we wouldn't have any problem", he says.

The chronicler also remembers that a large part of the capital was built on the ancient lake of Texcoco. "This soil is very soft and also amplifies seismic waves."

He says that you just need to walk through the center of the capital to see the number of buildings leaning or leaning against each other. "It's a sign that they're sinking, and what's more, it's a continuous process," he says.

The passion, the saint and the tremors

Building affected by earthquake in 2017 in Mexico City - REUTERS
For Mexicans, three things tend to unite them: faith in the Virgin of Guadalupe, a great passion for football and solidarity in times of disaster.

Every December 12th, millions of people gather around a figure, the Virgin of Guadalupe. On that day, more than seven or eight million faithful go to the basilica to sing the "mañanitas" to the Virgin of Tepeyac.

Something similar happens with football. Whenever the Mexican team, "El Tri", faces a strong opponent, a large part of the country stops in front of the television or gathers in stadiums, putting aside their political and social differences for the duration of the match.

The other element is the solidarity that manifests itself every time there is an emergency. In 1985 and in 2017, thousands of Mexicans took to the streets to help the homeless, remove rubble and, at the same time, bring water, food and clothing to those who lost everything in the blink of an eye.

Finally, taking advantage of the experience of structural engineer Sergio Alcocer Martínez, CNN asked him if he thinks there could be an earthquake if the Mexican team wins the 2026 World Cup.

The expert, also a football fan, pauses, laughs and responds: "The advantage is that this probability is practically 0.001%. So don't worry, nothing will happen", he says.

Source: CNN