Azteca Stadium soul is being preserved in World Cup renovations, director says
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MÉXICO CITY (AP) — When FIFA boss Gianni Infantino visited Mexico City more than three years ago, the Azteca Stadium owner told him the renovations for the 2026 World Cup were not going to mess with the iconic venue’s soul.
Emilio Azcárraga Jean is keeping his word.
Latin America’s largest stadium is adding more seats, more video screens, new lighting and locker rooms, a new entrance to the new hybrid pitch, and a new sound system with over 340 speakers.
Regular spectators will notice the upgrades but at the same time the 59-year-old venue has preserved its major characteristics, according to official computer renderings obtained by the Associated Press.
“It was very important to maintain its soul,” stadium director Felix Aguirre told the AP. “The soul is the essence of the stadium and it’s what we all come to enjoy.”
Azteca was where Pelé won his last World Cup in 1970 and where Diego Maradona won it all in 1986.
“We all have important memories of Azteca Stadium in our lives,” Aguirre said. “That’s why we undertook this renovation, guided by Mr. Azcárraga’s vision and with the stadium’s future in mind, preserving its soul and the emotions it evokes.”
Mexico is co-hosting the World Cup with the United States and Canada. and Azteca will become the first stadium to host a World Cup opening match for a third time, next June 11. Azteca will stage five matches in total, including two playoffs.
Before the doors were closed in 2024, Azteca seated 83,000. That number could grow to 87,000 but Aguirre said they were still figuring out the real number.
They are returning to a hybrid pitch. One was installed in 2018 but poor field conditions forced a last-minute change of venue for an NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams. Natural grass was installed the following year. The new pitch will have new ventilation and drainage to resist heavy downpours common in Mexico City.
The leaky roof is being repaired and the locker rooms moved to the center of the stadium and made bigger to accommodate NFL teams. The last NFL game was hosted in 2022.
Also set to be improved was the stadium Wi-Fi which often crashed during sold-out matches.
The stadium, sponsored by Banorte to help fund the latest revamp, is expected to reopen in March with a friendly between Mexico and Portugal. But Aguirre said they were working to have it ready on Feb. 28.
“We’re on schedule with the construction and we’re working hard,” Aguirre said. “Hopefully the fans can come and enjoy great moments.”
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer