11
JUN
GROUP A · MD1★ The opening match
🇲🇽Mexicovs🇦🇷Argentina
Mexico's home opener on the same pitch that hosted Maradona
18:00 CST00:00 GMT (12th)
87,523
Capacity (WC config)
5
WC 2026 matches
1966
Opened · third WC for the bowl
Grass
Surface · permanent natural
2,240m
Altitude · sea-level fans suffer
02 · The Soul
The cathedral. The third tournament.
The only stadium on earth that has hosted two World Cup finals. 1970 (Brazil 4-1 Italy) and 1986 (Argentina 3-2 Germany). 2026 makes it the only stadium to host three World Cups full-stop.
Pelé's third star landed here. Maradona's two greatest minutes of football happened here. The Goal of the Century and the Hand of God · same match · this pitch.
The slate: five WC matches including the tournament opener. Mexico vs the world, kickoff one, at the cathedral.
03 · The Fixtures · 5 matches
Every game played here.
Mexico's three home games + two more · plus the tournament opener.
18
JUN
GROUP A · MD2
🇲🇽Mexicovs🇨🇻Cape Verde
Mexico's second home game
20:00 CST02:00 GMT (19th)
24
JUN
GROUP A · MD3
🇲🇽Mexicovs🇨🇻Cape Verde
Mexico's group-stage closer at home
15:00 CST21:00 GMT
02
JUL
ROUND OF 32
TBDvsTBD
Single elimination
15:00 CST21:00 GMT
05
JUL
ROUND OF 16
R32 winnervsR32 winner
Mexico's likely R16 venue at home
15:00 CST21:00 GMT
04 · The Map
Pinned.
Coyoacán · the cathedral · the metro · Xochimilco · the city the world is coming to.
🏆Estadio Azteca
—Stadium · Tlalpan
2026 WC venue · 87,523 capacity · the cathedral.
🚆Estadio Azteca Metro
0.1 miTransit · Tlalpan
Tren Ligero (light rail) station named after the stadium · the cleanest WC transit in CDMX.
🎉Coyoacán historic centre
3 miFan zones · Coyoacán
Frida Kahlo's neighbourhood · WC fan-festival anchor location · cantinas and Plaza Hidalgo.
🌳Xochimilco
3 miParks · Xochimilco
Floating gardens, mariachi boats · CDMX's pre-match cultural must-do.
🛏Hotel Casa Azteca
0.2 miHotels · Tlalpan
Closest hotel · walking distance · books out 4 months early.
🍽Pujol
10 miRestaurants · Polanco
Chef Enrique Olvera's flagship · among the top 50 restaurants in the world. WC week is impossible without 6 months notice.
✈Mexico City International (MEX)
12 miAirports · Venustiano Carranza
The major airport · 45-min drive on a good day · metro available.
06 · Getting There
Three ways in.
Mexico City is the metro · the Estadio Azteca light rail station is named after the stadium for a reason.
🚆 From the Centro Histórico
Metro + Tren Ligero
50 mindoor to gate
MXN $7combined
5 minfrequency
1
Metro Line 2 (Blue) southbound to Tasqueña.
2
Transfer to the Tren Ligero southbound.
3
Get off at Estadio Azteca · 0.1 mi to the gate.
🚗 From Polanco / Reforma
Periférico Sur · 40 min off-peak
40 minoff-peak
MXN $200parking nearby
5 lotsevent-day
1
Periférico Sur southbound.
2
Exit Calz. de Tlalpan.
3
Pro tip: CDMX traffic is the third opponent · take the metro if possible.
🚌 From the airport (MEX)
Metro + Tren Ligero
75 mindoor to gate
MXN $7combined
8 minfrequency
1
Metro Line 5 from Terminal Aérea to Pantitlán.
2
Transfer to Line 1, then Line 2 southbound.
3
Tren Ligero from Tasqueña to Estadio Azteca.
07 · The Pitch & the Stands
The cathedral pitch, at 2,240 metres.
Estadio Azteca has been on natural grass since opening · 60 years of weekly Liga MX matches · **the only WC venue with a permanent altitude advantage**.
Field specifications
// already FIFA-spec
SurfaceNatural grass · Tifway Bermuda
SourceIn-situ · 60 years
Dimensions105m × 68m
RoofOpen · sun + smog
LightingLED · 2,800 lux
Pitch transitionNone required
Altitude2,240m above sea level
LowerClubUpperVIP
08 · The History
Before it was the 2026 opener.
Opened in 1966. The biggest moments before WC 2026, in reverse.
2026
🏆 FIFA World Cup · 5 matches · including the opener
Third World Cup hosted.
Five matches including the tournament opener (Mexico vs Argentina on June 11). The only stadium on earth to host three World Cups.
1986
🏆 WC Final · Argentina 3-2 Germany (+ Maradona's quarter)
Hand of God + Goal of the Century.
Maradona vs England in the QF: the two most-watched goals in WC history, in the same match. Then he won the final at the same stadium 6 days later.
1970
🏆 WC Final · Brazil 4-1 Italy
Pelé's third star.
Brazil's third World Cup · Pelé scored, Carlos Alberto's team-goal of the tournament · the original WC final at the Azteca.
1968
🏅 Mexico City Olympics · football final
The Olympics came through.
Hungary 4-1 Bulgaria · the football final of the 1968 Summer Olympics · Estadio Azteca's first major international tournament.
1966
🏟 Opening · Mexico vs Torino
The cathedral opens.
First match · México 2-2 Torino · the construction had been a decade in the making.
★ The deepest line on this file
The Opener.
Thursday · 11 June 2026 · 18:00 CST
08
Days
10
Hours
33
Minutes
29
Seconds
Mexico vs Argentina · the WC 2026 opener, at the only stadium to host three World Cups.
09 · Stadium trivia
Five facts that travel anywhere.
For the cantina line in Coyoacán.
Only stadium to host 2 WC finals
1970 + 1986. No other venue on earth has matched it. 2026 makes it the only stadium to host three WCs.
Hand of God + Goal of the Century
Argentina vs England · 22 June 1986 · this exact pitch. Maradona's two most-iconic minutes happened here · 4 minutes apart.
Altitude: 2,240 metres
The only WC 2026 venue at altitude. Sea-level fans are advised to arrive 4 days early and avoid alcohol.
Sits on volcanic ground
Built on the slopes of an ancient lava flow · the foundations had to be engineered around Mexico City's seismic geology.
Largest stadium in the Americas
87,523 capacity · larger than MetLife, AT&T, SoFi · the WC's biggest bowl.
The deepest truth in the file
Five matches.The only stadium to host two WC finals.The opening match of the third one.
Host venueWC opener87,523 capacity3 World CupsMaradona's cathedral