Estadio Azteca Guide Mexico City

World Cup 2026 Stadiums: Estadio Azteca

Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

Estadio Azteca (known as Estadio Banorte for sponsorship reasons) is Mexico's most iconic football stadium, located in the southern part of Mexico City, with a seating capacity of over 80,000. Opened in 1966, it is one of the few stadiums in the world to have hosted two FIFA World Cup finals (1970 and 1986) and serves as the home ground of Club América and the Mexican national team. Two icons of the world game have lifted the World Cup at the stadium, Pele in 1970 and Maradona in 1986.

The opening game of the 2026 tournament Mexico v South Africa will take place at the Azteca on June 11 (the first stadium to host three FIFA World Cup opening matches). The ground will also host two other group matches plus a Round of 32 fixture and a Round of 16 game. Mexico's other two host stadiums are Estadio Akron (Guadalajara) and Estadio BBVA (Monterrey). Canada has two venue cities (Toronto and Vancouver) and the USA eleven.

The stadium will stage 5 games in total during the 2026 World Cup.

These are:

June 11: Group A - Mexico vs South Africa
June 17: Group K - Uzbekistan vs Colombia
June 24: Group A - Czech Republic vs Mexico
June 20: Round of 32 match - Mexico vs Ecuador
July 5: Round of 16 match - Mexico vs England

Capacity & History

Estadio Azteca in Mexico City is one of the world's largest, currently featuring an official capacity of 87,523 spectators. It is the largest stadium in Mexico and Latin America, and ranks among the top 10 largest association football stadiums globally. It previously held over 100,000, with a record crowd of 119,853 in 1968. The stadium is located at 2,200 meters (7,200 feet) above sea level.

The stadium opened in 1966 after four years of construction work. It was designed by Pedro Ramírez Vázquez and Rafael Mijares Alcérreca to serve as a venue for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. The athletics events of the 1968 games were held at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario - now home to rivals Pumas UNAM.

The opening game at the Azteca was a 2-2 draw between Club América and Italian side Torino FC.

The stadium is also known as the "Coloso de Santa Úrsula" due to its vast size and location in the Santa Úrsula neighborhood in the south of Mexico City.

Owned by Televisa, the stadium has undergone several renovations to maintain its status, including preparations for hosting matches at the 2026 World Cup.

Improvements to accessibility (see below), the installation of LED lighting and new hospitality areas are just some of the renovations taking place before the ground reopens in March 2026.

There are also tours of the stadium available for visitors.

Club América

Nicknamed 'The Eagles' (Aguilas), Club América play their home games at the stadium. The club was founded in 1916 and play in a predominately all yellow kit with blue accents.

Altogether the team has won more titles than any other team in domestic Mexican football. The Eagles competed in the 2006 Club World Cup in Japan losing 0-4 to Barcelona in the semifinals in Yokohama and also losing the third place playoff 1-2 to Al Ahly of Egypt. The team again competed in the 2015 Club World Cup faring less well this time in Japan, finishing fifth overall.

Some famous players to have represented the club include Mexicans Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Hugo Sanchez and Raúl Jiménez, Argentinian striker Claudio López, and the Chilean forward Iván Zamorano.

LA Galaxy v Club America. — Club America supporters

Luis Roberto Alves (aka "Zague") is Club América's all-time leading goalscorer with 190 goals for the club between 1985 and 1998. He is followed by legends Cuauhtémoc Blanco (153 goals) and Octavio Vial (148 goals).

Midfielder Cristóbal Ortega Martínez is the club's all time record appearance holder with over 700 games for the team.

Estadio Azteca Station, Mexico. — Estadio Azteca Station in Mexico City with the stadium in the background

Approach to the stadium. — Approach to the stadium

Access

Visitors can reach the stadium in the southern part of Mexico City via the city's Metro Line 2 (Tasquena direction) connecting to the Tren Ligero (light rail) toward Estadio Azteca, as well as by taxi or rideshare; on event days, arriving early is recommended due to heavy traffic and large crowds.

The closest airport to Azteca Stadium is Mexico City International Airport (also known as Benito Juárez International Airport), located about 16.3 km (10 miles) to 23 km away depending on the route.

Address: Calzada de Tlalpan 3465, Sta. Úrsula Coapa, Coyoacán, 04650 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

Accessibility

Estadio Azteca is currently being renovated ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with major upgrades focused on accessibility for all fans. Improvements include designated seating areas, new ramps, and wider, modernized concourses designed to enhance mobility and comfort. The stadium also offers limited dedicated parking for disabled supporters and permits one companion per ticket holder.