Mexican military forces have brought down a drone that flew near the South Korea team's training camp in Guadalajara, sparking fears of espionage just hours before their World Cup match against the co-hosts. A Mexican federal official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the incident publicly, told the Associated Press that military personnel used specialised equipment to detect an “unregistered drone” and “neutralise” it. The official did not say when the incident occurred or whether any arrests were made.
South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo expressed relief that the drone appeared before his side worked on tactics. “During our training, there was a drone in the sky that we came to know about the fact,” he said. “But fortunately, it was right before we practised our tactics, so it did not impact us. But while we were preparing for the match, that was the most important timing, so what happened was unfortunate.” Hong's team face Mexico on Thursday in a crucial Group A fixture that could send either side into the knockout stages.
“Mexican military shoots down drone near South Korea training camp before World Cup match.”
The incident is the latest under a sweeping security operation known as “Plan Kukulkán”, announced in March, which involves about 100,000 personnel from federal and local military and police forces. The plan includes early warning systems, security measures at stadiums, airports, roads and hotels, and protection protocols for teams, officials and fans. The federal official said several drones had been neutralised in recent days after attempting to enter security zones around stadiums in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey – the tournament's three host cities in Mexico – as well as team base camps and fan festivals.
In Canada, authorities have banned unauthorised drones from flying over World Cup stadiums and several training sites in Vancouver and Toronto as a security measure, with restrictions in place until 7 July – the date of the last game scheduled in the country. The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States and Canada, kicked off on 11 June in Mexico City and runs until 19 July.