Racing de Veracruz Officially Moves to Oaxaca for the 2026–2027 Season
The Racing de Veracruz soccer club officially announced its move to the municipality of San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec, Oaxaca, where it will play the 2026–2027 season at Gustavo Pacheco Villaseñor Stadium.
The team’s owner, businessman Maclovio Yáñez, and the management of the Liga Premier Serie A of Mexico franchise made the decision after losing access to the club’s former home due to operational and security conflicts with authorities in the state of Veracruz.
The relocation includes all of the club’s professional categories, including the team competing in the Premier League of the Mexican Football Federation, as well as its lower divisions in the Liga TDP and the Under-16 category.
The club’s definitive departure from the Veracruz metropolitan area followed a violent incident that occurred on Saturday, February 21, 2026, after the conclusion of the team’s Matchday 20 game.
At the end of the match, in which the Veracruz side defeated Club Celaya FC 4–0, a large-scale fight broke out outside the Hugo Sánchez Márquez Sports Unit between supporters of the two teams.
The confrontation, involving stones and sticks, resulted in the death of a 33-year-old civilian from Guanajuato, identified as Carlos Alberto Ortiz Ortega. At least six fans suffered serious injuries, while surrounding businesses also sustained property damage.
Following the death and allegations of serious failures in security protocols, the municipal government of Boca del Río immediately closed the Hugo Sánchez Sports Unit for professional soccer matches.
Local authorities determined that the club had violated clauses established in the facility’s loan agreement, which required the management to guarantee the physical safety of spectators both inside the venue and in its immediate surroundings.
A technical investigation found that the team’s private security personnel simultaneously released the two rival supporter groups without respecting the required 60-minute waiting period, which allegedly contributed to the subsequent ambush.
The Veracruz State Attorney General’s Office also opened an investigation to determine the potential criminal responsibility of those involved.
Throughout the remainder of the 2025–2026 season, the club’s management sought to overturn the administrative ban and negotiated for the reopening of the facility. However, the Veracruz State Civil Protection Secretariat subsequently closed the entire venue because of construction modifications made by the club to the facility.
The lack of an alternative stadium in the port city forced the franchise to play matches at neutral venues outside the state, including stadiums in Toluca.
At the same time, amid the legal dispute, the Government of the State of Veracruz prioritized the use of the area’s main soccer infrastructure, granting exclusive occupancy rights to Luis “Pirata” Fuente Stadium to a local soccer expansion project. This left the Liga Premier club without a viable venue to remain in the metropolitan area.
The move to Oaxaca marks the definitive end of the franchise’s operations in Veracruz, the state where the club was founded in May 2023.
The coaching staff and players have already begun preseason training and conditioning at facilities in San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec ahead of the regular tournament.
The change of venue was administratively approved by the Liga Premier committee of the Mexican Football Federation, completing the registration of the club’s new sporting address in the state of Oaxaca so that it can compete regularly beginning in August 2026.
Source: urbisveracruz
