The Azteca Stadium, temple of football where the Brazilian Pelé raised the World Cup in 1970, and the Argentine Diego Armando Maradona, in 1986, increased its legend by becoming the only one on the planet to host three World Cups.
Azteca’s third date in a World Cup will be in 2026 and more historical memories will surely be harvested on its lawn, such as when the best goal of the 20th century and ‘the Hand of God’ were scored there, annotations with which Maradona sealed the victory of Argentina by 2-1 on England and signed the passage of the Albiceleste to the semifinals.
Those goals led Maradona’s Argentina to win the second World Cup in its history in Mexico’86, the only one won by ‘el Diego’, considered one of the best footballers in history.
Before, in Mexico’70, Pelé became the first Azteca player to win three World Cups when he defeated Italy 4-1 in the final of that edition and confirmed himself as one of the greatest football legends along with to Maradona.
In the 1970 edition, the Azteca also hosted “the match of the 20th century” in Italy’s 4-3 victory over Germany in the semi-finals of the tournament, which earned this nickname for the five goals scored in extra time.
To increase its legacy in 2026, the Azteca will undergo a remodeling by the Spanish company Molcaworld, which has carried out projects such as the Mestalla (Valencia), the Sánchez Pizjuán (Seville) or the design of areas of the Wanda Metropolitano ( Atletico Madrid).
The owners of the Azteca will have to convince the residents of the area to carry out the project, who are opposed to the remodeling of the property and its surroundings, in which it is intended to build a hotel and a shopping center that would further complicate the traffic of cars.
The next challenge for the Mexican organizers of the 2026 World Cup is to get the Azteca to host an opening match of a World Cup for the third time.
The Mexico City stadium is one of the 10 largest in the world with a capacity for more than 83,000 fans.
In addition to the World Cups, the Azteca has hosted major events such as NFL games, the visit of Pope John Paul II and concerts by major music stars such as the late Michael Jackson. EFE
