The Mexican cartel violence in Guadalajara is threatening World Cup soccer matches slated for Estadio Guadalajara this summer, and questions are swirling as to whether security for players and fans can be guaranteed for such a massive event.
If FIFA starts casting about for a substitute city for the four matches slated for Guadalajara, Chicago would be an obvious choice.
We have a stadium, Soldier Field, with a history of past World Cup games. We have the hotels. We have an incomparably well-connected international airport that will already be funneling soccer fans around North America. And we have a massive population of Mexican Americans who will flock to these games, along with other soccer-loving Chicagoans.
At the very least, it’s worth a phone call from Mayor Brandon Johnson to FIFA.
Chicago should have had World Cup games in the first place, as we’ve written before. It’s the capital of the Midwest and a big soccer city where the local team is breaking ground right now on a new stadium within the city limits, unlike another team we could mention. Whatever the challenges of working with FIFA, which has cleaned up its act after a troubled past, this potential new window of opportunity should be reopened now, whatever else has to be moved around.
We wish the people of Guadalajara nothing but peace in their community and sincerely hope for the quelling of these disturbances in such a way as to eliminate safety worries.
But Chicago should let FIFA know it stands ready to help.
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