Sixteen stadiums in Mexico, Canada and the United States will stage the games during the first 48-team World Cup. RFI looks at the venues to be used between 11 June and 19 July.
Issued on: 08/06/2026 - 17:27
3 min Reading time
Just over 107,000 people packed into the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City for its inaugural game on 29 May pitting Club America against the Italian side Torino. Some 60 years later and with a maximum capacity at 87,000 fans, the arena will be the stage for the opening game of the 2026 World Cup between Mexico and South Africa. At 2,200m above sea level, the Azteca sits in a realm of its own among the Mexican stadiums at the World 2026 Cup. It is 700m higher than the stadium in Guadalajara and more than 1,600m higher than the Estadio BBVA in Monterrey. In an interview with the African football confederation's wesbite just after the draw was announced, the South Africa boss Hugo Broos outlined a triple challenge of fervent fans, host nation in the opening game and the altitude. “It’s not an easy group for us," Broos said. "It will be very difficult for us there." Games at the Estadio Azteca After the opening game, World Cup debutants Uzbekistan face Colombia on 17 June and Mexico return to the stadium to conclude their Group A campaign against the Czech Republic on 24 June. The Azteca will also host the last-32 knockout clash between the winner of Group A and one of the best third-placed teams as well as a last-16 game on 5 July. And there its 2026 World Cup adventure will end somewhat prosaically in comparison with the Azteca's place in the competition's history as the only stadium to host two finals. Four years after its inauguration, it was at the epicentre of the 1970 World Cup - the first not to be held in South America or Europe since the inception of the competition in 1930. 'Game of the Century' In the semi-final, Germany and Italy contested what became known as the "Game of the Century", a 4-3 thriller which advanced the Italians to the final. "We never imagined the atmosphere would be so mad," said Italy defender Angelo Domenghini. "The crowd were going wild even before kick-off and the atmosphere never let up. Of course, there were plenty of goals, but the fans were absolutely electric." Veteran star strikers Neymar and Ronaldo headed to World Cup Four days later in the final, Brazil's Jairzinho became the first player to score in every round of a World Cup and Pelé entered legend as the first player to win the World Cup three times. The 4-1 annihilation of the Italians allowed Brazil as three-time winners of the competition to keep the trophy named after Jules Rimet, the Fifa president who had created the World Cup competition. Maradona's cunning and craft In 1986, during the second World Cup in Mexico, Maradona used his hand to score Argentina's first goal in the quarter-final against England at the Azteca. It was a strike he later dubbed: 'The Hand of God'.
