World Cup 2026: A Look at the 3 Stadiums in Mexico Hosting the Next World Cup Matches
While the U.S. has newer stadiums, Mexico certainly has more historical ones. Let's look at the three Mexican stadiums that will host the World Cup matches when it hits North America in 2026. Hector Vivas/Getty Images

While Qatar is currently hosting the first World Cup in the Middle East, the responsibility will fall next on North America. The United States, Canada, and Mexico will co-host the world's biggest soccer tournament in 2026, and there is a lot of sporting history in these three countries.

Eleven U.S. cities will be hosting, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle.

On the other hand, Mexico will have three host cities, namely Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Mexico City, while Canada will have two host cities, namely Vancouver and Toronto.

According to the MLS website, the stadiums that will serve as venues for the North America World Cup include some of the world's biggest and most advanced stadiums, such as AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just five miles west of New York City.

Three Stadiums in Mexico That Will Host the 2026 FIFA World Cup Games

While the U.S. has newer stadiums, Mexico certainly has more historical ones. Let's look at the three Mexican stadiums that will host the World Cup matches when it hits North America in 2026.

Estadio BBVA in Monterrey

Nicknamed "El Gigante de Acero," or "The Steel Giant," this Monterrey stadium is the largest in Nueva Leon state and larger than most stadiums in North America, even the ones in the U.S. The stadium is home to the Mexican professional football club C.F. Monterrey which can hold 53,500 fans.

It opened in 2015 and is considered the newest of the Mexican stadiums hosting the next World Cup. Monterrey City was one of the 1986 Mexico World Cup venues, where it hosted eight matches, including quarterfinal games.

Estadio Akron in Guadalajara

Estadio Akron, previously known as Estadio Omnilife, is home to CD Guadalajara, also known as Chivas. It is considered one of the largest stadiums in Jalisco, and Stadium Guide lists its capacity as around 45,500 seats.

It is also relatively new compared to the next one in the list, opening around 2010 when Chivas hosted Manchester United in a friendly match. Estadio Akron hosted the 2010 Copa Libertadores final as well, and the city of Guadalajara previously hosted 10 World Cup matches, including a semifinal.

Estadio Azteca in Mexico City

Estadio Azteca is considered "the big one." This was where history was made in 1986 when Argentina defeated West Germany to win its second World Cup. This was also where Diego Maradona became infamous with the "Hand of God" incident against England in the quarterfinals.

According to Stadium Guide, this historic venue has been repeatedly modernized and has a capacity of 84,000 seats. While it will not host the final of the next World Cup as that honor will go to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, it is so historical that the stadium has hosted the World Cup final not once but twice.

The first happened in 1970 when Pele and Brazil defeated Italy, and the second in 1986 with Diego Maradona hoisting the World Cup for Argentina. With the World Cup happening in 2026, Estadio Azteca is also set to become the first stadium to host three different World Cup tournaments.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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