Time is ticking for Estadio Azteca to get things ready for the FIFA World Cup in 2026. While the majority of the next World Cup will be played in the United States, the famed Estadio Azteca will be featured in the tournament, as it will play host to the opening match of Mexico in the tournament and other matches.
At the moment of the three venues in Mexico, BBVA, home of Rayados, and the Akron, home of Chivas, have all passed FIFA’s requests in order to officially qualify as a FIFA World Cup venue.
The only one to fail was surprisingly the Estadio Azteca, which hosted the World Cup finals twice in 1970 and 1986 and has the distinction of being the stadium which Pele and Diego Maradona both lifted the trophy.
Ultimatum for Estadio Azteca
According to 365Scores, “The Azteca Stadium did NOT pass the FIFA tests for the 2026 World Cup. The first report of the year arrived, and the Azteca is DELAYED by 6 months according to its planned remodeling”.
With the 365Scores report, Mexico has been given six-months to fix all the issues pertaining to the Estadio Azteca. The chances of Estadio Azteca having its venue assignation removed seems unlikely but it is a warning for the host nation to get things moving quickly.
In February of this year, Mexico’s interim head of government, Martí Batres, announced that the project of the Estadio Azteca to have a hotel and shopping center has been abandoned, and the stadium will only be renovated.
