High altitude soccer: How playing at over 7,000 feet is a huge advantage for Mexico during the World Cup
El Tri take on Ecuador in Mexico City in the round of 32 and will play each of their first five World Cup games on home soil, if they make it that far.
Home advantage can be a key factor for World Cup host nations and Mexico will be hoping that it can help carry them through to ‘El Quinto Partido’ - the fifth game.
Mexico will play on home soil up to and including the round of 16, playing most of their games in the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. They will benefit from the vociferous Mexican fans and will be well-equipped to deal with the challenges of playing at altitude, with Mexico City located roughly 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level.
“We have a massive advantage as the host country because we’re playing at the Estadio Azteca with our fans and the altitude,” said Mikel Arriola, Mexican football commissioner. “It is a very potent setting.”
Why is playing at altitude difficult?
Playing at altitude can bring significant challenges for athletes, particularly those not used to the conditions. Heightened elevation means that the atmospheric pressure is lower and the air is less dense with oxygen.
Athletes will take in less oxygen with each breath and therefore fatigue much more quickly. Similarly, players will need longer to recover between bursts of intense activity, and the cooler and drier air can increase the rate of dehydration during exercise.
Sports science expert James Morton spoke to AS USA about the challenges of playing at altitude, describing it as “one of the most complex World Cups” for teams to manage. “Of course, there have been hotter World Cups, but there have been none that have had the combination of travel, heat and altitude in the way that 2026 presents,“ he explained.
Why are Mexico so good at altitude?
Like with most aspects of fitness, bodies adapt after being exposed to difficult conditions. Mexican players - far more so than their European counterparts - are likely to have had much more practice playing at altitude, and should be better able to perform in those conditions.
Mexico’s group stage performances seemed to suggest that they were dealing better with the energy-sapping altitude, scoring five of their six goals in the second half. They will feel right at home in Mexico City for the round of 32, but so will their opponents.
On Tuesday Mexico will take on Ecuador, who typically play home games at an altitude of around 9,000 feet (2,743 meters) in Quito. They used this to their advantage during World Cup qualifying, going unbeaten at home. They even manage to beat Bolivia in La Paz, at a height of 12,000 feet (3,657 meters).
If any other World Cup team is set up to thrive in Mexico City, it may well be Ecuador. With extensive experience of playing at altitude and an industrious, well-drilled style of play they could spring a surprise on the World Cup co-hosts.
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