\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t In the world of football, only a handful of stadiums have reached mythical status. The Maracana, Wembley or La Bombonera are all recognized internationally as hallowed turf for fans. However, none of those come even close to M\u00e9xico\u2019s Estadio Azteca when it comes to World Cup history.<\/p>\n
On June 11, when the ball rolls for the first time in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it\u2019ll set the record as the only ground to host the tournament\u2019s opening game for a third time: 1970, 1986 and 2026.<\/p>\n
Having recently celebrated its 60th birthday, let\u2019s take a look at how the Estadio Azteca \u2014 literally, Aztec Stadium \u2014 came to be, how it got its iconic name and how it\u2019s evolved through the ages.<\/p>\n
A dream of Mexican football The most famous stadium in all of M\u00e9xico is the brainchild of two men, Emilio Azc\u00e1rraga Milmo and Guillermo Ca\u00f1edo.<\/p>\n
Azc\u00e1rraga, son of Televisa media network founder Emilio Azc\u00e1rraga Vidaurreta, was a businessman who bought Club Am\u00e9rica in 1959.<\/p>\n
The purchase of one of Mexico\u2019s most successful and well-supported teams put him on the path of Ca\u00f1edo, president of Club Deportivo Zacatepec, the leading Mexican team at the time.<\/p>\n
Backed by Azc\u00e1rraga, Ca\u00f1edo reached the presidency of the Mexican Football Federation (FMF, for its Spanish initials) and started working on the dream of hosting the FIFA World Cup by 1970.<\/p>\n
A key step in that was the construction of a massive, brand-new stadium that could rival the world\u2019s biggest and most important football grounds.<\/p>\n
Riding the wave of a flourishing era in the country\u2019s economy known as the \u201cMexican miracle,\u201d construction on the new stadium began in August 1962.<\/p>\n
Hard rocks and popular vote The project didn\u2019t start in the best possible way. The site chosen for the new stadium in southern Mexico City was composed of basaltic rock.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Some 180,000 tons of rock had to be blasted away to prepare it for the construction, but it wasn\u2019t enough. As a result, the architects Pedro Ram\u00edrez V\u00e1zquez and Rafael Mijares Alc\u00e9rreca decided to build up, constructing a platform on which the stadium sits.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of farming families had to be relocated to construct the building, parking lots and access routes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Originally budgeted at 95 million Mexican pesos (about 1,350 million in current money, or US$78 million), it ended up costing over 200 million (US$160 million), with construction finishing two years late. The stadium was opened in May 1966<\/p>\n
Neither Azc\u00e1rraga nor Ca\u00f1edo decided the name. The Mexican Postal Service organized a contest, with people sending their choice for the name in letters, and the option with the most votes winning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The first person to submit the winning option would be crowned the winner. A man named Antonio V\u00e1zquez Torres got the nod, earning him two guaranteed box tickets for the next 99 years, set to expire in 2065.<\/p>\n
Three World Cups The Estadio Azteca\u2019s trial of fire undoubtedly came in 1970. It hosted 10 games during that year\u2019s World Cup, including all of Group 1\u2019s clashes, one of the quarterfinals, one of the semifinals, the third-place match, and the final.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With 1970 being the first time the World Cup was broadcast in color, the stadium became inseparable from the shine of Pel\u00e9\u2019s bright yellow Brazil jersey, as the legend lifted his third and final Jules Rimet Trophy at the Azteca.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Azteca has something very special,\u201d said Pel\u00e9 many years later, remembering the win. \u201cYou have to be there to feel it and understand it. It\u2019s one of a kind.\u201d<\/p>\n
One year later, the Azteca hosted another World Cup, one that FIFA fails to recognize.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In 1971, the Federation of Independent European Female Football organized a women\u2019s World Cup in Mexico.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The tournament featured six national teams from Latin America and Europe, and became a historic precedent for women\u2019s football. Denmark won the title, beating Mexico 3\u20130 in front of a 110,000 crowd at the Azteca.<\/p>\n
On October 25, 1982, Colombia officially withdrew from hosting the 1986 FIFA World Cup due to a deep economic and social crisis. Struggling for a host, FIFA offered it to Mexico, which accepted the challenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was the first time the Azteca underwent a major refurbishment, with its capacity increased to over 114,000.<\/p>\n
As it had done with Pel\u00e9, the Azteca became the venue for Argentine superstar Diego Maradona\u2019s greatest hour. Argentina\u2019s wins against England in the quarterfinals, Belgium in the semis and West Germany in the final were hosted at the stadium, the first to do it twice.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis stadium is the cathedral of my life in football,\u201d said Maradona in 2000, during a visit to the Azteca with a TV show. \u201cHere I lifted the World Cup, and I scored my best goal, one that many consider the best ever in a World Cup. I\u2019m flooded with feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n
A renewed giant The refurbishment in 1986 wasn\u2019t the only one the iconic stadium has undergone.<\/p>\n
In 1999, the visit of Pope John Paul II and selection as a venue for the Confederations Cup prompted a second renovation, during which the capacity was reduced to the original 110,000 seats and two giant screens were installed.<\/p>\n
The next major refurbishment was completed in 2016. As part of the requirements by United States sports league NFL to host games, a new set of VIP areas, executive suites, and new boxes was built.<\/p>\n
Additionally, new lighting and press areas were constructed, with the whole works reducing capacity to 83,000.<\/p>\n
For the 2026 World Cup, the stadium\u2019s owners announced a US$300 renovation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It included reengineering of the players\u2019 areas and the field\u2019s drainage system, new internal walkways and a new hybrid turf.<\/p>\n
The seating and boxes were renovated, and a full set of hospitality, restaurants and panoramic-view terraces was added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The giant screens were also upgraded to LED 4K, and the stadium was covered with a weather-resistant thermoplastic polymer.<\/p>\n
Brought to the cutting edge of the 21st century, the Estadio Azteca won\u2019t look like the historic venue it is.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fans could be fooled into forgetting the legends that played on its pitch the day it gained not just the record as the only stadium to feature in three World Cups, but also another game to its tally of 19 World Cup games hosted, the most of any football venue in the world.<\/p>\n
Cover Photo: Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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