World Cup excitement swept through Mexico City last week as thousands of fans descended on the capital for the tournament opener on June 11, where co-host Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0.
Wang Kun and Li Zhe arrived in Mexico City on June 10 and were traveling from Benito Juárez International Airport to the city center when two masked gunmen stopped their vehicle and robbed them, Channel News Asia reported.
“I’ve just experienced a robbery for the first time in my life — and it was at gunpoint,” Wang said in a video posted on Facebook, adding that one of the attackers pressed a gun to his head.
The masked robbers, both wearing helmets, stole their passports, luggage, laptops, cash and high-end watches.
Their ordeal was widely reported across Chinese social media platforms, drawing attention from netizens.
“It’s good that you made it home safely,” WeChat user Xiao Ying commented.
Another user, Kong Qian, remarked on the cost of traveling abroad to attend the tournament.
“They must be quite wealthy to fly overseas to watch a football match,” Kong wrote. “For ordinary people like us, we spend hours deciding whether it’s worth paying to watch the live broadcast.”
The Chinese Embassy in Mexico confirmed the robbery in a statement posted on its official WeChat account on June 12.
The embassy said it had lodged representations with Mexican authorities, urging them to make every effort to apprehend those responsible and take concrete steps to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in the country.
It also advised Chinese citizens to remain vigilant and avoid carrying large amounts of cash, jewelry and other valuables while traveling.
In a follow-up statement on June 13, the embassy said Mexican authorities had arrested one of the two suspects.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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