The 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico, kicks off on June 11. The opening match will be held at the famous Azteca Stadium in the Mexican capital, where the hosts will play with the Republic of South Africa. The first match of this prestigious tournament, which will feature 48 teams for the first time in the history of the World Cup, will be held at a sports venue steeped in history. The arena, which will be officially known as the Estadio Ciudad de Mexico during the matches, will be the only stadium in the world to host the opening matches of a World Cup for the third time in its history.
An extensive renovation project, worth approximately 3.6 billion pesos (160 million euros), was carried out in preparation for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will increase the stadium’s capacity to 87,500, making it the largest sports venue in Latin America. Opened in 1966 and encompassing the most glorious history of world football, the Azteca Stadium is the famous venue where Brazil, led by Pele, lifted the championship trophy in 1970 and Argentina, led by Diego Maradona, in 1986. The famous goals, known in the history of football as the “Goal of the Century” and the “Goal of God” also went down in history in this very field.
Currently, the excitement of the World Cup has reached its peak in Mexico City, located at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level. The mass events organized by thousands of football fans and the “Mexican Wave” that is trying to enter the Guinness Book of Records last Saturday show that the celebrations in the city are full of great enthusiasm. Mexican sports fans are excited to host the World Cup for the third time in their country and are excited to see it become a great and unforgettable celebration. This historic stadium, which will host a total of five matches in the capital, will once again become the centre of attention for sports fans around the world.
