This archive report was first published on 19 October 2019.
On October 18, 2019, a Mexican league match between Tigres and Veracruz turned into a farce when the home side's players refused to play in protest of unpaid wages.
According to reports, many of the Veracruz players had not been paid for six months, leading to discontent in the dressing room.
Despite the protest, the match continued, with Tigres scoring two goals in quick succession. The first goal was scored by Eduardo Vargas, who collected the ball after Veracruz goalkeeper Sebastian Jurado kicked it out of play.
Andre-Pierre Gignac soon followed with another goal, making it 2-0 for Tigres. Veracruz eventually scored a consolation goal, but it was too little, too late, and they went down 3-1.
Veracruz owner Fidel Kuri surprisingly defended the opponents' decision to continue with the game, stating that they were within their rights to do so.
"The players wanted to send a message that wasn't discussed, but they are in their right," Kuri said. "We were once again the joke of the nation, or the world with this topic."
