Estadio Azteca status update: Is Mexico’s revamped stadium ready?
The venue for the 2026 World Cup’s opening game, the Mexico City arena has been undergoing a revamp ahead of this summer’s tournament.
Estadio Azteca, known for sponsorship reasons as Estadio Banorte, is about to reopen its doors. Six hundred and sixty‑five days have passed since that May 26, 2024 afternoon when it last welcomed fans - capping the day with a Liga MX championship repeat for Club América. This weekend, the stadium will finally host supporters again, though this time for the Mexican national team.
The venue’s sights are set squarely on the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 11, and with lingering questions surrounding the stadium’s current condition, Grupo Ollamani - the company that owns multiple brands, including Estadio Banorte - shared videos from inside the arena on its social media accounts, announcing that preparations are being finalized to welcome fans once more.
Estadio Azteca passes “final tests”
In its post, the official account stated: “Our Estadio Banorte successfully passed the final audio and video tests tonight in the presence of national and international football authorities. We’re getting ready to welcome all fans to what will be a truly unique experience.” The message was accompanied by photos and videos detailing exactly what was described, along with a close look at the finished touches throughout the stands.
Nuestro #EstadioBanorte ha superado esta noche las pruebas finales de audio y video en presencia de autoridades del futbol nacionales e internacionales 🤩. Nos estamos alistando para recibir a todos los aficionados en una experiencia que será única. #Ollamani pic.twitter.com/f5LMmAfKKm
— GrupoOllamani (@GrupoOllamani) March 23, 2026
When is the new Azteca’s first game?
The revamped stadium’s inaugural match will be Mexico vs Portugal this Saturday, March 28. From there, although it hasn’t been officially confirmed, reports suggest that the stadium’s primary tenants - Club América and Cruz Azul - will eventually return to play their home matches there ahead of the World Cup. Fittingly, on April 11 the two clubs are scheduled to face off, with América designated as the home side.
Likewise, another key match - the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals, where América is set to host Nashville SC - has been listed by CONCACAF as “venue to be confirmed”, with an announcement expected soon. The same applies to América’s Leagues Cup matchup this August against San Diego FC.
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