Guillermo ‘Billy’ Álvarez dies: What did the former Cruz Azul owner die of?

On Saturday, May 30, the death of Guillermo “Billy” Álvarez was reported. For more than three decades, he was one of the most influential figures in Mexican soccer and within the Cruz Azul Cooperative. He held several administrative positions before becoming president of Cruz Azul’s soccer club in 1986 and later general director of the cooperative in 1988, a role from which he wielded enormous influence over the organization for more than 30 years.

What did Guillermo ‘Billy’ Álvarez die from?

According to initial reports, Álvarez died at a hospital in Toluca after suffering respiratory complications. The former executive had been held at the federal Altiplano prison in the State of Mexico since January 22, 2025, where he was facing legal proceedings related to alleged organized crime activities and operations involving illicit funds, commonly known as money laundering.

His death brings an end to one of the most consequential and controversial chapters in the history of Cruz Azul, a club with which he was closely associated throughout much of his professional life.

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