Photo: Estadio Azteca, by Ruben Ramirez / Unsplash
The iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will write another chapter in football history on June 11, 2026, when it becomes the first stadium ever to host three FIFA World Cup opening matches. Mexico will face South Africa in a rematch of their 2010 encounter, kicking off the largest tournament the sport has ever seen.
This World Cup marks Mexico‘s third time hosting the event, following tournaments in 1970 and 1986. No other country can claim that distinction. The 2026 edition will be co-hosted with the United States and Canada, featuring 48 teams across 104 matches in 16 cities. Mexico will host 13 of those games in three cities: Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
El Tri’s Group A Draw and Schedule
Mexico was placed in Group A alongside South Africa, South Korea, and the winner of UEFA Playoff Path D (to be determined from Denmark, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland, or North Macedonia in March 2026). As co-hosts, El Tri automatically qualified and were seeded in Pot 1, avoiding the tournament’s heavyweights in the group stage.
The opening fixture against South Africa carries particular significance. The two teams met on June 11, 2010, in the opening match of that year’s World Cup at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg. That game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Siphiwe Tshabalala scoring a memorable goal for the hosts before Rafael Márquez equalized for Mexico. Sixteen years later, to the exact day, they will meet again.
Mexico’s Full Group Stage Schedule
Thursday, June 11, 2026 Mexico vs. South Africa | 1:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. ET) | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Thursday, June 18, 2026 Mexico vs. South Korea | 9:00 p.m. local time (11:00 p.m. ET) | Estadio Akron, Zapopan
Wednesday, June 24, 2026 Mexico vs. UEFA Playoff D Winner | 7:00 p.m. local time (9:00 p.m. ET) | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Should Mexico win Group A, they would remain at Estadio Azteca for both the Round of 32 match on June 30 and a potential Round of 16 fixture on July 5. Finishing second or third in the group would send them north to continue their campaign in the United States.
Additional Matches at Estadio Azteca
Beyond Mexico’s group stage matches, the venue will host five total World Cup fixtures:
- June 11 – Mexico vs. South Africa (Group A)
- June 24 – Mexico vs. UEFA Playoff D Winner (Group A)
- June 30 – Round of 32: Group A Winner vs. Third Place (Group C/E/F/H/I)
- July 5 – Round of 16: Winner of Match 79 vs. Winner of Match 80
The Cathedral of Football Gets a Renovation
Estadio Azteca, often called the “Coloso de Santa Úrsula,” opened in 1966 and has hosted some of football’s most celebrated moments. It remains the only stadium in the world where both Pelé (1970) and Diego Maradona (1986) lifted the World Cup trophy. The venue also witnessed Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal and his solo effort later voted the “Goal of the Century,” both against England in the 1986 quarterfinals.
The stadium is undergoing its most extensive renovation in decades to meet FIFA’s requirements. The project, estimated at approximately 3 billion Mexican pesos (roughly $170 million USD), includes new seating throughout the venue, LED screens on the exterior facade, a hybrid pitch designed for intensive use, upgraded player facilities, modernized media and hospitality areas, and new lighting systems.
The renovated stadium will accommodate approximately 87,500 to 90,000 spectators. Due to FIFA sponsorship rules, the venue will be referred to as “Mexico City Stadium” during the tournament rather than its current commercial name, Estadio Banorte. A friendly match between Mexico and Portugal scheduled for March 28, 2026, will serve as the venue’s dress rehearsal before the World Cup begins.
How to Purchase Tickets
FIFA manages all official ticket sales through its dedicated portal at FIFA.com/tickets. The process operates through several phases:
Current Phase (Random Selection Draw) From December 11, 2025, through January 13, 2026, fans can submit applications for specific matches. This is not first-come, first-served. Instead, successful applicants are determined through a random draw, with results communicated in early February 2026.
Last-Minute Sales (Spring 2026) Any remaining tickets will be released on a first-come, first-served basis. FIFA has not confirmed which matches or how many seats will be available during this final phase.
To participate, fans must create a FIFA account, apply for their desired matches and categories, and have a valid payment method ready. If selected in the draw, payment is processed automatically.
Ticket Categories and Pricing
FIFA has structured seating into four categories based on location within the stadium:
- Category 1 – Lower tier, closest to the pitch (most expensive)
- Category 2 – Upper and lower tiers outside Category 1 areas
- Category 3 – Upper tier, beyond Categories 1 and 2
- Category 4 – Upper tier, furthest from the pitch (most affordable)
For group stage matches in Mexico City, prices start around $370 USD for Category 4 seats and can reach approximately $1,825 USD for Category 1, based on reported figures from ticket sales phases. Mexico’s involvement tends to drive prices higher due to demand. The tournament’s final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey has the steepest prices, ranging from approximately $2,030 to $6,370 USD.
FIFA has reported record-breaking demand, with approximately 150 million ticket requests received from fans across 200 countries. The organization has also launched an official resale platform at FIFA.com/tickets for fans who need to sell tickets they can no longer use or who missed the initial sales phases.
Additional Ticket Options
Team-Specific Tickets National football federations receive ticket allocations for their supporters. Fans wanting to sit in designated sections with fellow national team supporters should check with their country’s football association for availability and registration requirements.
Hospitality Packages ON Location, FIFA’s official hospitality partner, offers premium packages that guarantee seats along with dining and entertainment. These packages carry significant premiums, with hospitality tickets for Mexico’s opening match against South Africa listed through various resellers starting above $5,000 USD.
Conditional Tickets Available for knockout rounds, these secure a seat for fans whose team advances past the group stage.
Getting to Estadio Azteca
The stadium sits in the southern Coyoacán borough of Mexico City. Public transportation remains the recommended option given match-day traffic:
Take Metro Line 2 (Blue Line) to Tasqueña station, then transfer to the Xochimilco Light Rail. The Estadio Azteca stop is located directly outside the venue.
The stadium sits at approximately 2,250 meters (7,380 feet) elevation. Visitors arriving from lower altitudes should plan to arrive several days early to acclimate, as the thin air affects physical exertion. The Mexican government has announced infrastructure improvements around the stadium, including upgraded roadways and public transportation access, ahead of the tournament.
Mexico’s World Cup Ambitions
Under head coach Javier Aguirre, who previously led the national team at the 2002 and 2010 World Cups, Mexico enters the tournament with significant expectations. The team has reached the Round of 16 in seven consecutive World Cups (1994-2018), but has not advanced to the quarterfinals since hosting in 1986, when they lost on penalties to West Germany.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar marked a disappointment, as Mexico failed to advance from the group stage for the first time since 1978. Goals from the opening two matches (a 0-0 draw with Poland and a 2-0 loss to Argentina) proved costly. Despite defeating Saudi Arabia 2-1 in their final group game, Mexico was eliminated on goal difference.
Playing on home soil with passionate crowds at Estadio Azteca has historically boosted El Tri’s fortunes. In both 1970 and 1986, Mexico reached the quarterfinals while hosting. The format change in 2026, which allows the top two teams plus some third-place finishers to advance from each group, provides slightly more margin for error than previous tournaments.
The Bigger Picture
The 2026 World Cup represents a significant moment for football in North America. The tournament runs from June 11 through July 19, 2026, with the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The United States will host 78 matches, including everything from the quarterfinals onward, while Canada and Mexico each host 13 fixtures.
This is the first World Cup to feature 48 teams, expanded from the previous 32-team format. The group stage consists of 12 groups of four teams each, with 32 teams advancing to the knockout rounds. The tournament will feature 104 total matches, a record for any FIFA World Cup.
For Mexico and its football-mad population, the opportunity to host and compete in another World Cup holds deep meaning. Estadio Azteca stands ready to add to its unmatched legacy, and for fans wanting to witness history, securing tickets now is essential.