Mexico Metropolis’s Azteca Stadium is a 15-kilometer journey from the Zócalo—roughly the middle of the metropolis of 18 million inhabitants. The drive can take the 18 minutes predicted by Google Maps, however it may simply exceed an hour for those who occur to be in the course of what my driver calls “the height,” the time when the town’s perpetual swarm of automobiles swells to bursting.
The primary feeling on seeing the Coloso de Santa Úrsula— the nickname given to the stadium the place each Pelé and Maradona performed legendary video games—is that of being in a spot suspended between previous and future. The venue’s seemingly motionless dinosaur skeleton exterior hides an enormous work in progress as the entire stadium is being modernized for 2026 World Cup.
On March 26, 2026, a pleasant match between Mexico and Portugal will function a costume rehearsal for the June 11 inaugural ceremony and subsequent first World Cup match.
How the Azteca Is Remodeled
The icon of Mexican soccer is present process an unprecedented metamorphosis. Renovations to Azteca Stadium, important to its standing as a chosen venue for 5 matches, are of their most important and visual section.
The aim is to modernize the Colossus to fulfill probably the most demanding worldwide requirements, enhancing the spectator expertise and the performance of the ability whereas sustaining its historic soul.
The present state is that of a building web site in full swing. The stands, fully empty and devoid of their signature indicators and colours, reveal the grey of concrete and scaffolding. The empty bleachers, lit by the white lights of a building web site, are enlivened solely by groups of technicians and engineers working day and night time. The sphere, the guts of the stadium, is now a sea of dust and dirt, the place heavy equipment works to degree and reinstall the drainage system and put within the state-of-the-art hybrid floor that mixes pure grass with superior air flow, drainage, and air injection techniques.
The Architectural Design
The stadium could also be new inside, however the outdoors is conserving its figuring out options. The principle construction of the stadium has solely been strengthened, however not considerably altered. Nonetheless, the upgrades do embrace some flash. The outside will likely be embellished with LED banners mounted on the attribute columns and cross beams that may improve the looks of the stadium and permit for colourful choreographed gentle reveals.
From the sphere degree, the most important change is straight away noticeable: The brand new metallic and glass ring roof is nearly full and can defend a lot of the stands. “We did not wish to erase the unique silhouette,” a crew engineer explains, “however to replace it with lighter supplies that may higher stand up to the local weather and combine photovoltaic techniques invisible to the bare eye.”
The mission—by KMD Arquitectos in collaboration with Populous—fully renovates {the electrical}, water, and air flow techniques, and consists of the set up of a sensible power administration system. It additionally introduces new FIFA evacuation requirements. Whereas the official capability of the Azteca is about 83,000, the renovations would take the ability nearer to 90,000 seats, though neither the federal government nor FIFA has confirmed the ultimate quantity. For certain, it is going to transform the expertise: particular person ergonomic seats exchange most of the previous seats, growing house and luxury for each spectator. Accessibility and sight strains for followers have been optimized because of a revised bleacher format.