Saturday’s Liga MX match between Queretaro and Atlas was suspended due to scenes of violence in the stands that spilled out on the Estadio Corregidor field.
At the 63rd minute of the match, the fans ran onto the field to avoid a fight that broke out between the fans of the opposing teams. With the score 1-0 in favor of Atlas, the referee Fernando Guerrero stopped the game as more and more fans began to flee onto the field.
At first, Guerrero suspended the match in the hope that order would be restored. However, the violence continued to spread throughout the top bowl of the stadium, which hosted the 1986 World Cup games. After hundreds of fans continued to flood the playing field, Guerrero stopped the game for good.
Photos and videos posted on social media show people being beaten, kicked and dragged while others are left lying on the ground covered in blood in what appears to be a seating area at a stadium in the city center Querétaro.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the footage, which was also shown by local TV channels.
Liga MX president Mikel Arriola called the violence “unacceptable” and vowed that the perpetrators would be “exactly punished.”
Shortly thereafter, Liga MX released a statement saying: “Due to acts of violence in the stands of the Estadio Corregidora, the match between Querétaro and Atlas has been suspended. The integrity of fans and players is a priority.”
Following the suspension of the game, Querétaro State Civil Defense Coordinator confirmed that 22 people were injured and nine people were taken to hospital, two of whom are in critical condition.
The Liga MX Disciplinary Committee also announced that it has launched an investigation into the matter and will await further information.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.