Querétaro–Atlas riot

• 1. Introduction

  ›

  The Querétaro-Atlas riot of the 5th of March 2022 announced itself to the world through social media. Videos posted online showed men inside Estadio Corregidora being beaten, kicked, whipped, dragged, and stripped of their clothing. Those victims were supporters who had come to watch a Liga MX match between Querétaro F.C. and Atlas F.C. At least 26 men were confirmed injured by the morning of the 6th of March. Claims of deaths spread that evening, though no official fatality was ever confirmed. What drove rival fan groups to attack each other inside a football stadium? And what penalties would Mexico's football authorities impose in the days that followed?

  2341011

• 2. When Atlas Sent Them Down

  ›

  Atlas relegated Querétaro from the Primera División de México at Estadio Jalisco during the Clausura 2007 tournament. Querétaro's supporters outnumbered the Atlas home crowd that day, traveling to their rival's ground in force.

  Three years later, Querétaro had returned to the top flight. During the 2009-10 Mexican Primera División season, Atlas fans traveled to Estadio Corregidora in larger numbers than the home support. Clashes were reported in the bleachers.

  Since 2009, conflicts between the barras of both clubs had made their fixtures a recurring concern. The barras were the organized, sometimes confrontational fan groups common in Mexican football. Atlas arrived at Estadio Corregidora in March 2022 as the Liga MX Apertura 2021 champion.

  89

• 3. Kickoff to Suspension

  ›

  At 17:00 CST, the referee started the match inside Estadio Corregidora. Julio César Furch gave Atlas the lead at the 28th minute with what proved to be the afternoon's only goal. Confrontation between the supporters of both clubs broke out at the 57th minute. At the 62nd minute, fans sprinted onto the pitch to escape the fighting in the bleachers, bringing play to a halt. The referees officially suspended the match at the 102nd minute. Querétaro state's civil protection agency recorded at least 22 men injured in its initial statement after the violence subsided.

  9231011

• 4. Deaths in Dispute

  ›

  David Medrano Félix, a journalist from TV Azteca, announced 17 deaths from the violence while the riot was still unfolding. He later retracted the report entirely. Some deaths were separately reported by Atlas fans, creating an uncertainty that official channels could not immediately resolve.

  On the 7th of March, the Querétaro state governor had still not arrested anyone, despite photographic evidence of the perpetrators being in hand. The governor also could not confirm, on that date, that no deaths had occurred.

  Liga MX president Mikel Arriola declared the violence unacceptable and promised exemplary punishments for those responsible. Arriola traveled to Querétaro the following day to visit the injured fans.

  7541721

• 5. The Weight of Punishment

  ›

  On the 8th of March, fourteen male suspects were arrested in connection with the violence; two were released shortly after due to lack of evidence. The Liga MX's disciplinary committee and that of the Mexican Football Federation opened formal investigations.

  At least five officials were suspended after the riot, including police and civil defense employees. Three of those suspended had been involved in the planning and preparation of the match.

  The Liga MX handed down its heaviest sanctions on the 8th of March. Querétaro were barred from hosting supporters at home matches for up to a year. The club's barras received a ban of up to three years. Five club owners, Manuel Velarde, Gabriel Solares, Alfonso Solloa, Javier Solloa, and Greg Taylor, were prohibited from conducting league-related activities for up to five years.

  Grupo Caliente, which also owns Club Tijuana, was designated to receive the club through a mandated ownership transfer. Grupo Caliente had until the end of the year to sell the club; if it failed to do so, the league would assume ownership. The league fined the current owners $1.5 million pesos and ruled the abandoned match a three-nil win for Atlas. Querétaro's youth and women's teams were also ordered to play behind closed doors. Atlas's barras were banned from home matches for up to six months.

  C.D. Guadalajara announced on the 8th of March that barras from both Guadalajara and Club América would be excluded from their upcoming derby on the 12th of March.

  3536273334

• 6. The 2026 Warning

  ›

  CONCACAF and FIFA issued statements on the 8th of March condemning the violence, calling on authorities to hold those responsible accountable. CONCACAF pledged to provide support to both the Mexican Football Federation and the Liga MX.

  In El Salvador, Primera División de El Salvador matches on the 6th of March hung the Mexican flag with black ribbons. Alianza Fútbol Club from San Salvador and Club Deportivo Águila from San Miguel were photographed together at the Cuscatlán Stadium to promote non-violence among supporters.

  On the 7th of March, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he would not hold the Querétaro state governor personally responsible for the riot. The manager of Querétaro F.C., Hernán Cristante, said his players had received death threats in the aftermath.

  On the 9th of March, Liga MX president Mikel Arriola stated that Mexico's co-hosting role for the 2026 FIFA World Cup had been at risk. It was only preserved, he said, because the violence had received a serious response.

  The league announced new security measures for the 2022-23 season. These would include facial recognition technology and fan identification cards, with all supporter group members required to register. Minors would be banned from supporter group sections. Private security firms would be removed from stadiums, with state, local, and municipal police required to provide security at all matches. The Liga MX also confirmed it would not disaffiliate Querétaro from the league, leaving the 2022 Clausura season to continue as scheduled.

  1920212618