Nearly 1,000 fans gathered along La Paz’s Malecón to celebrate Mexico’s 2026 World Cup victory on Tuesday night, and the city reported zero injuries, arrests, or security incidents. The outcome stood in sharp contrast to Mexico City, where at least four people died from asphyxiation and crowd crush injuries during celebrations near the Angel of Independence monument.
La Paz officials credited a coordinated security plan called “En La Paz Sí Festejo Seguro” (In La Paz, a Safe Celebration) for the clean result. The operation deployed 176 personnel and 34 vehicles across three security zones along Paseo Álvaro Obregón, the waterfront boulevard that runs the length of the Malecón.
Multi-Agency Security Operation on the Malecón
The city set up road closures along the waterfront to manage vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Participating agencies included the Mexican Navy, the National Guard, Baja California Sur State Police, Civil Protection, and local fire and medical services. The multi-agency approach gave authorities overlapping coverage of the celebration zone.
City officials specifically cited incidents in other municipalities as the benchmark they were working to prevent. That concern proved well founded. In Mexico City, roughly 1.4 million people flooded the streets after Mexico’s Round of 32 win over Ecuador. Mayor Clara Brugada reported that three people, ages 19, 44, and 48, were found dead of asphyxiation on streets near the Angel of Independence. A fourth person, a man in his 30s, later died at a hospital from severe seizures and gastrointestinal bleeding. Emergency crews assisted 1,615 people across the capital.
A Model for Future Matches
With Mexico advancing deeper into the tournament, La Paz’s proactive approach could serve as a template for future match nights. The city’s relatively modest crowd of 1,000 is far easier to manage than Mexico City’s millions, but the decision to pre-position security forces and close roads before any problems arose kept the evening orderly.
The Malecón is a popular gathering spot for both residents and visitors, stretching roughly five kilometers along the waterfront in downtown La Paz. On any given evening it draws walkers, joggers, and families. Tuesday night it became a de facto fan zone, with the security perimeter keeping vehicle traffic away from the celebration.
La Paz authorities did not report any property damage or medical emergencies during the event, according to the city’s official news site, noticias.lapaz.gob.mx.