The legendary Azteca Stadium turf will be unique in the world. FIFA has given Mexico City the opportunity to become the only venue to host three World Cup openings. First there was the Brazilian joy of 1970, then the Maradonic madness of 1986 and now the greatest World Cup in history.
The opening game will take place on June 11, 2026. Mexico will play 13 games in the group stage and three more in the direct elimination rounds. Guadalajara has four games, Monterrey four and the capital another five. Canada, the other organizer, will split 13 games between Vancouver and Toronto. The remainder (78 games) will be played in the United States, including the final, which will be played on July 19 at the 82,500-seat New York Stadium in New Jersey. In total there will be 104 games with 48 countries.
In this way, the Mexican team debuts against its team, then travels to Guadalajara to the Akron Stadium and concludes the phase at the Azteca. The World Cup format will be unprecedented due to the number of participating countries and the format: there will be twelve groups of four. The top two in each group and the eight best third-place finishers qualify for the round of 32.
The first game of México 70 was a match between the Mexicans and the Soviet Union, which ended in a goalless draw and in which warning cards were used. The first game of the 1986 tournament was between Bulgaria and Italy and ended in a 1-1 draw. Back then, the Mexican hosts played against Belgium three days after the opening, where they won 1-2. The Azteca, built and completed on May 29, 1966, was the dream setting. This year, the renovation work will begin, adjusted following protests from Santa Úrsula residents amid looming water access problems and rising living costs.
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