Mexico City authorities have announced an alcohol sales ban ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup match between Mexico and the Czech Republic.
The ban will bar fans from buying alcohol in several areas, following widespread public drinking and significant littering during recent celebrations.
The prohibition will be in effect from 3 p.m. on Wednesday until 7 a.m. on Thursday, encompassing the 7 p.m. kick-off at Mexico City Stadium.
While bars and restaurants are exempt, the ban targets convenience stores, grocery shops and supermarkets within the historic downtown and surrounding boroughs.
This extensive zone includes the popular Zona Rosa entertainment hub and Reforma Avenue, the capital’s primary thoroughfare where supporters traditionally converge at the iconic Angel of Independence monument to mark football victories.
The decision comes after over 700,000 people flooded the city centre last week to celebrate Mexico’s triumph over South Korea, a win that secured their place in the World Cup knockout stage.
Despite heavy rain, thousands of jubilant fans transformed Reforma Avenue into a vibrant sea of green jerseys, creating a colossal open-air party downtown.
Revelers waved Mexican flags, sang anthems, and continued drinking late into the night. Following the festivities, officials reported collecting approximately 40 metric tons of waste from the historic centre and its environs.
Public consumption of alcohol is illegal in Mexico, and authorities had previously announced increased monitoring of street vendor beer sales in response.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has encouraged fans to gather in free public watch parties set up by local governments and FIFA in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.
Nearly 20 such venues dot the Mexican capital, including in lower-income areas of the city.
“We will keep insisting that fans have fun but without excessive alcohol consumption,” Mexico City’s government secretary Cesar Cravioto said last week.
Meanwhile in Boston, Scottish fans known as the “Tartan Army” drank such vast quantities of beer that several bars reported running dry.
