Renovation work at Estadio Azteca is progressing, and with less than 500 days left until the 2026 World Cup kicks off, new updates have emerged regarding the modernization of the Coloso de Santa Úrsula.

Increased capacity and an attempt to solve the box issue

According to information provided by Carlos Ponce de León on the Los Informantes program on RÉCORD+, the capacity of Estadio Azteca will increase from 83,264 seats to 84,700 seats for the World Cup. Ponce de León also revealed that the renovation team has presented FIFA with five different proposals regarding the luxury boxes, but none of them were accepted. The issue of the luxury boxes hasn't been resolved yet. Estadio Azteca presented FIFA with five options to solve this issue, but FIFA didn’t accept any. It’s important to remember that the Coloso de Santa Úrsula is the only stadium facing this problem, Ponce stated.

So far, the renovation work at Estadio Azteca is proceeding according to plan and is now at the most challenging part of the project, involving the demolition of some stands and the construction of new locker rooms with access through the center of the field, in line with FIFA's requirements for the 2026 World Cup. If there are delays in opening, the stadium could be launched without all areas being completed, especially the hospitality zones, which must be fully ready for the World Cup, as they are a requirement to host the tournament.

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Estadio Azteca to welcome Cruz Azul for longer

Currently, the stadium is expected to be ready by the end of 2025, but in an alternative scenario, teams from southern Mexico City could return to the stadium in early 2026. One of those teams is Cruz Azul, which has been playing at various stadiums around Mexico since the renovation began, but fans can breathe easy as it seems that 2025 will be the last year the team has no permanent home.

According to Carlos Ponce de León, Cruz Azul has reached an agreement with Estadio Azteca, ensuring the stadium will be its home for at least five years from 2026, under a new contract lasting until 2030. This is great news for the club, whose president presented the first design for their own stadium last year, although the location for the project hasn’t been confirmed yet.

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Club América officials dream of a big rival for the opening

Meanwhile, Club América is already thinking about the opening match at Estadio Azteca. According to information from ESPN, the club's dream is for the first match at the renovated stadium to be against Real Madrid or another European team of similar stature to Los Blancos. The plan is to schedule this match for the club's anniversary, on October 12. ESPN reporters contacted representatives from the Madrid club, who assured that they have not received an official proposal yet. If Real Madrid is unavailable, other alternatives being considered include teams like FC Barcelona or Bayern Munich.

Attracting a team like Real Madrid is possible because October 12 falls within the international break, which runs from October 6 to 14. Although key players won’t be able to travel to Mexico due to international commitments, Club América officials are still determined to push for such a match. According to sources familiar with the matter, representatives of the teams considering a trip to Mexico have already inquired about logistics and options for visiting during this period.