One Year Out: Mexico Faces Key Challenges on the Road to the 2026 World Cup

With just a year remaining until Mexico becomes the first country to host the World Cup for a third time, the vision of an extraordinary event is grappling with the practicalities of modernising the revered Azteca Stadium to meet the demands of the world’s premier football competition.

Underneath the grand silhouette of this football fortress – where Pele mesmerised fans with Brazil in 1970 and Maradona’s infamous ‘hand of God’ inspired Argentina to triumph in 1986 – construction teams are busily engaged in the daunting task of updating one of the history-laden venues in the sport into the modern era.

The importance of this endeavour is amplified as the ‘Santa Ursula colossus’ is set to host the opening match of the tournament, a moment that will thrust Mexico into the global spotlight right from the outset.

Renovations will increase the stadium’s capacity from 87,000 to 90,000, with improvements aimed at satisfying FIFA regulations through the addition of new changing rooms, upgraded hospitality areas, refreshed VIP sections, and extra seating where boxes and lounges were previously established.

While officials and football administrators in the government envisioned this project as a point of national pride, the renovation process has led to a breakdown of trust among developers, local residents, and other involved parties.

In February, the stadium’s administrators revealed they had obtained a credit line of 2.1 billion pesos (approximately $110.19 million) from the local financial institution Banorte, which comes with the contentious new name: Estadio Banorte.

Due to FIFA guidelines, the venue will be called “Estadio Ciudad de Mexico” during the World Cup; however, this rebranding has ignited considerable backlash from some supporters, who see it as a compromise of football heritage in favour of commercial ambitions.

HARSH REALITY

The opposition to the stadium’s new title is just one aspect of the escalating tensions. Holders of boxes and suites—some with relationships spanning decades—have threatened legal action after FIFA asserted it would take over their seats for the tournament, disregarding existing contracts.

One member of the Mexican Association of Box Holders has already initiated legal proceedings to protect their access rights.

Beyond the stadium, discontent runs equally deep. Residents of Santa Ursula and the surrounding areas are concerned that promised infrastructure improvements, such as pedestrian bridges and new transit lines, will not adequately tackle fundamental issues like poor lighting, water shortages, and ongoing traffic problems.

“We’re not the stadium’s backyard,” a local resident expressed to Expansion Politica. “But we’re always treated that way.”

In contrast, Guadalajara and Monterrey, the other two host cities in Mexico, seem to face fewer hurdles.

Guadalajara’s stadium, which holds 48,000 and opened in 2010, has already accommodated significant events such as the 2011 Pan American Games, while Monterrey’s venue, with a capacity of 53,500 and inaugurated in 2015, requires only minor upgrades—specifically, new turf and a pitch ventilation system.

“We’re going to install a system to ventilate and oxygenate the pitch before we replace the grass,” stated Alejandro Hutt, Monterrey’s Host City Manager. “That will leave an important legacy from the World Cup and beyond.”

As construction progresses, Javier Aguirre’s Mexico squad is preparing for a pivotal summer, aiming to defend their Gold Cup title, with friendly matches lined up against Turkey this week, followed by games against Japan and South Korea in September.

After failing to progress beyond the group stage in Qatar 2022—their poorest World Cup performance since 1978—Mexican fans are yearning for more than just a well-executed tournament. They long to see Mexico overcome the ‘fifth-game’ jinx and reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 1986, the last occasion they hosted the World Cup.

For a nation passionate about football, pride lies not only in hosting but also in delivering a memorable event on all fronts.