The Azteca Stadium has many stories to tell. The place can say it has withstood two of the world’s worst earthquakes; That everyone from Michael Jackson to Shakira has gone through it. Celebrate and witness the event of John Paul II God’s hand. Next year, when it celebrates its 60th anniversary, it will set a new record. On June 11, it will become the only stadium in the world to have hosted three World Cup opening matches. On that day, Mexico will face South Africa to celebrate the achievement in the new stadium, which has already been renovated, and which will host four more matches on its field in the largest World Cup in history.
For FIFA, it was almost obvious that the opening match should be held in Azteca because of the symbolism and mystique that accompanies it, having witnessed the coronation of two football kings: Pele in 1970 and Maradona in 1986. However, the official decision was made in February 2024 and was seen by Mexicans as a great consolation given the distribution of matches: 13 for Mexico; 13 for Canada and 78 for the United States. Of those matches that will be held on Mexican soil, five matches will be held in Azteca, four in Guadalajara, and another four in Monterrey. “Unfortunately, we are in a borrowed World Cup because almost everything will be played in the United States,” says Carlos Calderon, a Mexican football historian. “They gave us handouts in Mexico and Canada. I understand that. Mexico does not have the infrastructure to organize a World Cup on its own. We should feel lucky to play some matches.”
In June 2018, FIFA awarded Mexico, the United States and Canada the opportunity to host the 2026 World Cup. Since then, the scope has been reduced to the fact that the Mexicans can only host three stadiums: their capital, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. The distribution of parties (104 in total) will be unequal, with a greater preference for the United States, the country that was witnessing the first presidency of Donald Trump. There was some concern that the Republicans’ immigration campaign put Mexico on alert and contradicted the slogan of the North American Unity campaign.
Decio Di María, then president of the Mexican Football Federation, commented in 2018: “The differences will be reconciled in time. We said football would send an important message to the world.” Seven years later, the differences have not been resolved, quite the opposite. The campaign against immigration in the United States has intensified through Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the customs watchdog, and its anti-immigrant raids. Tariff pressures have also plagued the governments of Mexico and Canada in the past year.
The first match played at the Azteca Stadium in the World Cup was in 1970, when the local team faced the defunct Soviet Union (0-0). That edition was the first to be broadcast on television in color. The tradition of warning cards and the use of substitute players began. Sixteen years later, the first match was between Bulgaria and Italy (1-1). Both matches were held on May 31. “For Mexicans, the Azteca is the cathedral of football, it is an icon, as if we were talking about the Church of Guadalupe or the Palace of Fine Arts,” Calderon says. “The Estadio Azteca is a marvel, it’s a majestic stadium,” Hugo Sanchez said during Friday’s draw. “I was able to play the opening match, and I was able to score my only goal in the World Cup against Belgium. As Mexicans, we should feel proud to be organizers for the third time.” Mexico and South Africa will meet again in the opening match after a 1-1 draw in 2010.
Feverish skin change
Last March, the stadium’s owners, Grupo Ollamani, a public limited company that emerged from the Televisa group, announced that they would change the name of their legendary stadium to give it the name of their business partner, Banorte Bank, which contributed more than $11,000 million to the remodeling work. FIFA immediately and by regulations banned the new name because sports stadiums cannot have a commercial name. This prompted the stadium’s owners to look for another name: Mexico City Stadium, at least during the World Cup. The new baptism also did not please fans who see the name Estadio Azteca as part of their culture. “I don’t like the change,” says Calderon, the author of “Banorte Stadium.” World Cup Story: Mexico in the World Cup Finals.
Work on renovating the Azteca stadium began in May 2024, less than two years before the start of the World Cup. All work was done inside the stadium, with the structure of the seats and stands changed. The end date is scheduled to be February 28, a month before the reopening match: Mexico vs. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on March 28. During all this time, the residents of the neighborhood of Santa Úrsula protested against the organization of the World Cup, because the event caused gentrification of the place, increased rents, problems of water shortages, and everyday problems they faced in public works such as new transportation routes.
Another complaint came from the stadium’s box owners, who had the property to use it for all kinds of events with a 99-year contract between 1960 and 1966, the date on which the largest soccer stadium in Mexico was opened. The owners sued FIFA because the international organization wanted absolute control over all the stadiums so they could manage the funds. Last September, the two parties reached an agreement under which the owners will be able to use their usual places on the condition that they do not bring drinks or food, which will be taken care of by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).
In nearly 60 years, Pele, Beckenbauer, Lev Yashin, Paolo Rossi, Ronaldinho, Iker Casillas, Carles Puyol, Giacinto Facchetti, Jorge Valdano, Gary Lineker and Maradona have walked on the Azteca turf. Now the list of great footballers is waiting to grow inside their locker rooms and on the pitch. The summer of 2026 will mark a milestone in history, because the Azteca will establish itself as the absolute temple of the World Cup and Mexico as the preferred host of football.