May 25, 2026 | 03:48 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Estadio Azteca, located in the Coyoacán district of Santa Úrsula Coapa in Mexico City, will host the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly staged by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.One of Mexico’s most iconic sporting landmarks will officially open the tournament with the Group A match between hosts Mexico and South Africa on June 12 at 02:00 AM WIB (Wester Indonesia Time).It will mark the third time Estadio Azteca has hosted a World Cup opening match after the 1970 and 1986 editions, won respectively by Brazil and Argentina.In both previous tournaments, the stadium also staged the final matches, becoming the backdrop to some of football’s most historic moments. In 1970, Pelé lifted his third World Cup trophy after Brazil defeated Italy 4-1 in the final, with Pelé scoring one goal.Sixteen years later, Diego Maradona captained Argentina to a 3-2 victory over West Germany in the 1986 final, securing the only World Cup title of his career.“There’s just something very special about the Azteca,” Pelé once said, as quoted by FIFA. “You need to be inside it, to feel it to understand. It’s unique.”With a capacity of around 83,000 spectators, the stadium, which opened in 1966, will not host both the opening and final matches as it did in 1970 and 1986.For the 2026 edition, Estadio Azteca’s role will be limited to hosting the opening match and several fixtures from the group stage through to the Round of 32 and Round of 16.Following the opening match, the stadium will also host Mexico’s Group A clash against Czech Republic on June 25 at 08:00 AM WIB.Before that, Estadio Azteca will stage the Group K match between Uzbekistan and Colombia on June 18 at 09:00 AM WIB.The venue will later host one Round of 32 match and one Round of 16 match.Estadio Azteca is the only stadium to have hosted four FIFA tournaments: the FIFA World Cup, FIFA U-20 World Cup, FIFA U-17 World Cup, and FIFA Confederations Cup.The following 2026 World Cup matches will be played at Estadio Azteca:Friday, June 1202:00 AM WIB — Mexico vs South Africa (Group A)Thursday, June 1809:00 AM WIB — Uzbekistan vs Colombia (Group K)Thursday, June 2508:00 AM WIB — Czech Republic vs Mexico (Group A)Wednesday, July 108:00 AM WIB — Group A winners vs best third-placed team from Groups C/E/F/H/I, Match 79 (Round of 32)Monday, July 607:00 AM WIB — Winner of Match 79 vs winner of Match 80, Match 92 (Round of 16)
