The Azteca Stadium will reopen in March when Mexico hosts Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo in a friendly match ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the Mexican Football Federation confirmed on Tuesday.
The iconic stadium, closed since May last year for renovations, will host five World Cup matches, including the opener on June 11.
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Azteca, recently renamed Banorte Stadium, will become the first venue in history to host a third World Cup opening match. Mexico, which hosted the World Cup in 1970 and 1986, will host next summer’s tournament along with the United States and Canada.
The match against Portugal will take place on March 28. Mexico also announced a warm-up match against Belgium, to be played three days later at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Coach Javier Aguirre said after a 2-1 defeat to Paraguay in November that he wanted to play two matches in January with players from the local league in Central America, but the Mexican federation has yet to confirm this.
Published on December 3, 2025
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