Monterrey will host the World Cup playoffs, says governor

▲ According to reports, Rayados Stadium will host that playoff match and four World Cup matches. Photo @MikelArriolaP

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, August 9, 2025, p. a11

BBVA Stadium, home of Monterrey in the Liga MX, will host five official matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico—from June 11 to July 29—including one in the playoff round, state governor Samuel García announced on social media. This information has not been confirmed by FIFA.

We woke up to good news: Nuevo León will host another World Cup playoff game. Five official matches in the best venue. "Get new, get World Cup ," he wrote on the social network X, in a message that has already reached more than 160,000 views.

According to the president, the state of Nuevo León will hold three group stage matches (June 14, 20, and 24), one knockout match (round of 32, June 29), and one reclassification round match, which will involve six teams from different confederations (CONMEBOL, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, as well as two CONCACAF members).

The World Cup playoff will see the four lowest-ranked nations in the FIFA rankings compete in a semifinal round, while the top two teams will face the winners for the final two spots to complete the 48-member field.

President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo confirmed last month that the World Cup opening ceremony will be held at the iconic Azteca Stadium, the venue for the 1970 and 1986 editions and the first in the world to host a FIFA Cup three times. The opening match will be played on June 11 of that year.

In February 2024, FIFA announced that Mexico will host 13 matches: 10 of these will be in the group stage, four of which will be played at the Guadalajara stadium, three in the country's capital, and the same number in Monterrey, in addition to the two round of 32 matches and one round of 16 match.

▲ The red and white striker (24) scored the goal that tied the 1-1 with Cruz Azul. Photo @ChivasFemenil

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, August 9, 2025, p. a11

Alicia Cervantes, a leading scorer and role model for the youngest players in women's soccer, is the soul of Guadalajara. Whenever the Rebaño faces any difficulty, the 31-year-old from Jalisco comes to their rescue. At the start of the fifth round of the Liga MX in this category, the forward, who in 2022 was considered the world's best scorer by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, scored the equalizer in the final minutes of the 1-1 draw against Cruz Azul.

With the pressure of the final play of the match under pressure, Cervantes found herself caught in the middle of a series of rebounds off a free kick from outside the box. When she realized La Máquina's defenders hadn't followed her lead, the Rojiblanco striker executed a maneuver almost on the goal line and tapped the ball in for the equalizer (90). If not for her, the Celestes' dominance for much of the match would have been ratified with a victory.

A defensive error, dubbed by experts as a locker room goal , damaged the spirits of the Guadalajara team at the very beginning. The sky-blue forward Aerial Chavarin escaped between two defenders and defined with her left foot, powerful and close to the post, to beat goalkeeper Blanca Félix (2). It was not that the Flock had too many scoring opportunities in search of the tie, but rather that Cruz Azul, superior in almost all lines, wasted every opportunity they had to increase their lead.

For a professional with Cervantes's experience, such a setting was an incentive. Accustomed to carrying the weight of an entire squad, Licha , as her teammates at the Perla Tapatía often call her, appeared when the fans needed her most. A free kick from more than 30 meters away from the goal enabled the former national team player to break through La Máquina's defensive line and salvage a tie before the final whistle.

The Celestes went three games without a win, following two straight losses, while Rebaño earned their tenth point, keeping them among the top five in the Liga MX Femenil standings.

San Luis surprises Querétaro

Almost at the same time, but at Corregidora Stadium, Atlético San Luis surprised Querétaro by winning 2-0 with goals from Venezuelan Enyerliannys Higuera (9), who established herself as a star by getting a double. The Queretaro team fell to third-to-last place in the competition with just one point, in exchange for one draw and four losses. Meanwhile, the Potosí team reached six points and remains in the fight for the playoff spots.

The Independent and AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, August 9, 2025, p. a11

Former Palestinian football star Suleiman Al-Obeid was killed after being shot several times in the latest Israeli attack in the southern Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) reported.

Former Palestinian national team player Suleiman Al-Obaid was killed in an Israeli attack on civilians waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip , the PFA said in a statement on social media Wednesday. The player, originally from Gaza City, was 41 years old, married, and the father of five children.

He began his career at the local club Khadamat Al-Shati and with his outstanding performance he remained active for almost a decade and a half.

Due to his speed and technique, he was nicknamed the Palestinian Pelé and considered one of the most talented midfielders to play in the Gaza Strip League, earning him the nickname in honor of the Brazilian.

His name resonated throughout the region, scoring more than 100 goals throughout his career and playing 24 international matches for the national team, where he scored two goals.

According to the association, his death brings to 321 the number of members of the football association—including players, coaches, referees, administrators, and board members—who have been killed since the Israeli offensive, which began on October 7, 2023.

Israeli forces have reportedly killed more than 1,300 Palestinians at aid distribution centers run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial group created by Israel and the United States at the expense of international agencies.

Both the UN and established charities have criticized the GHF's aid plan for not adhering to humanitarian principles.

In a damning report released Thursday, titled “This Is Not Aid, It’s Orchestrated Slaughter ,” Doctors Without Borders denounced Israel’s food distribution program as “institutionalized starvation and dehumanization.”

GHF distribution sites are dangerously short of any recognized standards for safe and dignified humanitarian distributions , he said.