Members of the National Guard kept a grim watch outside the Teotihuacan pyramids this week. The site, one of Mexico’s most frequented tourist attractions, was closed following a shooting that left one Canadian tourist dead and a dozen more injured. A lone gunman opened fire from the top of one of the ancient structures before taking his own life. The violence comes as the Mexican government struggles to project an image of safety less than two months before the 2026 World Cup.

“Mexico’s government is boosting security,” officials said in a statement released after the attack. The surge of cartel violence, which recently hit the host city of Guadalajara, has raised questions about the safety of international fans. The shooting at a UNESCO Heritage Site is a visceral reminder that when the rule of law is hollowed out, no place—no matter how sacred or historic—is truly safe.

The Canadian government is expected to seek answers for the death of its citizen. For the United States, which shares the World Cup hosting duties, the instability of our neighbor is a matter of profound concern. We cannot have a celebration of global sport in a landscape of unpunished bloodshed. Order must be restored not just with more guards, but with a firm commitment to the sovereignty of the law.