SOCCER: Mexico City bans alcohol sales ahead of Mexico-Czech Republic match

MEXICO CITY – Mexico City will ban alcohol sales in some of its busiest neighborhoods during Wednesday’s Mexico-Czech Republic World Cup match following celebrations last week that led to public drinking and litter along the capital’s main avenue.

The suspension will run from 3 p.m. local time on Wednesday to 7 a.m. on Thursday, overlapping with the match, which kicks off at Mexico City Stadium at 7 p.m.

The measure exempts bars and restaurants but will apply to convenience stores, grocery stores, and supermarkets in the historic downtown area and several nearby boroughs.

The restricted zone includes the popular Zona Rosa entertainment district and Reforma Avenue, Mexico City’s main thoroughfare, where fans typically gather to celebrate soccer victories near the Angel of Independence monument.

Authorities said last week they would increase enforcement and deploy additional personnel to monitor beer sales by street vendors after more than 700,000 people gathered downtown to celebrate Mexico’s victory over South Korea, which secured the co-hosts a place in the World Cup knockout stage.

Public drinking is prohibited in Mexico.

Despite rain following the match, thousands of fans filled Reforma Avenue, turning one of the city’s most iconic streets into a sea of green jerseys. The downtown area became an open-air celebration, with fans waving Mexican flags, singing anthems, and drinking late into the night.

Authorities said they collected around 40 metric tons of waste in and around the historic center. -Reporting by Fabiola Arámburo, editing by Ed Osmond/Reuters