Mexico and Portugal share the spoils in the 2026 World Cup warm-up as Azteca Stadium reopens

Mexico and Portugal played out a goalless draw on Saturday evening in a warm-up match that marked the reopening of the Azteca Stadium after almost two years of renovation for the 2026 World Cup.

Goncalo Ramos had the best scoring opportunity of the match when he smashed into the goal post in the 26th minute.

The iconic Azteca Stadium, which hosted the finals of the 1970 and 1986 World Cup editions, has been closed since May 2024 due to renovation works for the upcoming World Cup, which will host five matches: three matches in the first round and two for the knockout stages.

On Saturday, the Mexicans were without 12 players due to injury, including six starters who helped the team win the CONCACAF Nations League and the Gold Cup last year.

The Portuguese also had to deal with absences during the match, especially those of strikers Cristiano Ronaldo and Rafael Leão.

Mexico opens its tournament on June 11 in Mexico City against South Africa in the opening match of the tournament.

The Mexicans play Belgium next Tuesday at Soldier Field in Chicago, while Portugal faces the United States at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Portugal will make its World Cup debut on June 17 against the winner of the intercontinental play-off match between Jamaica and Congo.

Before the match, groups of mothers searching for missing relatives organized protests outside the stadium, bypassing city government controls that limited entry only to ticket holders.

The Mexican government said in a new report Friday that it had identified signs of life for a third of the country’s 130,000 registered missing people, an announcement that was quickly criticized by some search groups who called it another attempt to undermine the depth of Mexico’s disappearance crisis.

Published on March 29, 2026