The Portuguese Football Federation is monitoring the situation in Mexico ahead of the friendly in March

LISBON (AP) — Portugal’s soccer federation said Tuesday it is monitoring the situation in Mexico amid a wave of violence ahead of a friendly against the Mexican national team in March.

The federation said it was “closely monitoring the delicate situation currently unfolding in Mexico” after the killing of the country’s most powerful drug lord by the Mexican army on Sunday. The murder unleashed a wave of violence and put the country in difficulty.

Announcement

The World Cup warm-up match is scheduled for March 28 at the renovated Azteca Stadium, which will host the opening World Cup match between Mexico and South Africa on June 11.

Mexico will face Iceland in a friendly on Wednesday in Queretaro, with the Icelandic football federation saying on Tuesday it expects the match to go ahead as scheduled.

The Portuguese federation said it was honored by the invitation to participate in the reopening of the renovated headquarters, but underlined that “the recent evolution of events requires a continuous evaluation of the conditions” that the national team and its delegation will find themselves in.

It said it would follow the Portuguese government’s recommendations and be in close contact with the Mexican football federation.

Announcement

“Any decision will be taken following continuous monitoring, in close coordination with the government and in line with the Mexican Football Federation, an entity with which the Portuguese Football Federation maintains excellent institutional relations and regular contacts,” read a statement from the Portuguese federation.

“The Portuguese Football Federation emphasizes that the safety of the players, coaching staff and fans is an absolute priority, and this is the main criterion for all assessments and decisions regarding the conduct of the match,” the federation said.

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said during her daily news conference on Tuesday that there was “no risk” for fans coming to the World Cup.

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