The Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will reopen next March ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where it is scheduled to host the opening match.
Mayor of Mexico City Clara Brugada Molina held an event yesterday (Wednesday) to mark 400 days until the start of the World Cup, which Mexico will co-host alongside the US and Canada.
The Azteca has been undergoing extensive renovation work ahead of next year, which will see it become the first venue to host the opening match of the World Cup three times. It also opened the 1970 and 1986 tournaments.
The renovation project includes upgraded hospitality and VIP areas, new seating and new changing rooms. The stadium has a current capacity of 87,500 and it is unclear whether this will increase following the completion of the work.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Brugada said the Azteca will reopen on March 28, around three months before the start of the World Cup. Operational tests will be carried out at the stadium before the World Cup, which will run from June 11 to July 19.
The stadium, which hosts the Mexican national team and Liga MX teams Club América and Cruz Azul, has been closed since April 2024. In February, Ollamani, the stadium’s parent company, announced that MXN$1.151bn (£44.3m/€52.2m/$58.9m) had already been committed to the venue’s development.
In March, it was announced that financial services firm Banorte had acquired naming rights to the Azteca, officially rebranding the stadium as Estadio Banorte.
It marks the first time the Azteca has featured the name of a sponsor. Banorte has agreed to provide MXN$2.1bn to finance the renovation of the stadium, with this to be reportedly paid back over 12 years.
