Azteca Stadium to feature hybrid field, modern amenities for 2026 World Cup
Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A hybrid field, updated locker rooms, elevators and hospitality zones are among the new features of Azteca Stadium for the 2026 World Cup, the owners said Wednesday.
Sports entertainment company Ollamani also confirmed the stadium will reopen March 28, which will be 75 days before the start of the World Cup as Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada announced recently.
'The centerpiece of the stadium's renovation is the people who visit it. Our main objective is to substantially improve their experience in every way,' stadium director Felix Aguirre said in a statement.
The iconic venue closed last May for renovations ahead of next year's 48-team competition hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada.
The 83,000-seat Azteca, which recently was renamed, will host five games including the tournament opener. It also hosted the first matches in the 1971 and 1986 World Cups.
Ollamani, which is affiliated with Grupo Televisa, Mexico's largest television network, also said the stadium will have bigger capacity, but did not specify how many extra seats it will have.
It will be the second time that Azteca has a hybrid pitch — one was installed in 2018 but returned to natural grass a year later. The poor field conditions in November 2018 forced a last-minute change of venue for an NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams.
'The pitch, being subjected to intensive use, will have a new ventilation and suction system, thereby achieving better recovery, stability and resistance,' Ollamani said in a statement.
The new locker rooms will be located at the center of the stadium under the luxury boxes and with a tunnel leading to the pitch. Before, they were located in the north and south part of it.
'The project includes new facilities in the competition areas, improving the experience of the player, fans and media in line with the most modern stadiums in the world," the company said.
The plan includes installing large LED screens inside and outside the stadium. Before the renovations, the stadium had just two big screens that were installed in 2015.
Ollamani did not provided specific details about elevators or escalators. In the past, the only way to move between the lower and upper sections was using an old ramp.
The hospitality zones were also a necessity. The old stadium had a small concession area outside the venue, but inside there were no food courts and the fans were forced to buy from the vendors roaming the seating area.
Among other renovations, the stadium owners also announced a new press box area, improved restrooms, a 200-unit CCTV surveillance system and a new sound system.
Originally, a major renovation was planned including a shopping center and hotel, but residents of Santa Úrsula, a popular neighborhood located south of the capital, opposed them.
Ollamani said that the facade and the roof will be renovated 'to improve the stadium appearance without losing its essence.'
Earlier in the year, the owners released images of work done on the pitch and the lower seats. The luxury boxes apparently haven't been touched because some owners refuse to release them to FIFA.
The box owners recently filed a complaint with Mexico's consumer protection agency seeking clarity over use of the seating for the 2026 World Cup.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
recommended
in this topic
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
15 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Fans don't appear to be snatching up tickets to the Club World Cup
Associated Press If slashed ticket prices, closed stadium sections and moved seats are any indication, fans aren't exactly clamoring to attend the Club World Cup. The tournament opens Saturday with Lionel Messi's Inter Miami facing Al Ahly at Florida's Hard Rock Stadium. Thirty-two teams are taking part in the newly expanded tournament that will be played across 11 U.S. cities. The final is set for July 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. On Ticketmaster, FIFA's official ticketing partner for the Club World Cup, the least expensive tickets to the opener were $349 in December. As of Thursday, there were tickets available for just under $80. Upper deck seats for certain games at Seattle's Lumen Field and Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field were no longer available. Links to a smattering of resale tickets in those sections did not work. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Associated Press that some sections of Lumen Field in Seattle had been closed, but did not offer details. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak on the record. In Philadelphia, some ticketholders received messages that said they were moved. 'As we continue preparations to deliver a world-class event, we are making a few enhancements inside the stadium to optimize operations and ensure the best possible matchday experience for fans, players and the global broadcast audience," the message said. 'As a result of these stadium optimizations, some seats, including yours, will be relocated. We want to ensure you that your new seat will be in the same or better value zone than your original one.' Ticketmaster used dynamic pricing for ticket sales, which is based on demand and other factors. They referred all questions about sales to FIFA. FIFA did not respond to questions about whether sections were closed due to slow ticket sales, or whether fans who originally bought tickets in those sections were moved or offered refunds. But soccer's international governing body did offer a general statement. 'We anticipate great attendances and electric atmospheres at its inaugural edition, with excitement growing with every round of matches and the tournament ultimately standing as the undisputed pinnacle of club world football,' the statement said in part. 'The appetite speaks for itself: fans from over 130 countries have already purchased tickets. The top 10 markets are led by the United States, followed by Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, France, Japan, Switzerland, Germany and Portugal — a clear sign of global anticipation and reach.' With 32 international teams, there are undoubtedly some clubs that are unfamiliar to American audiences. There are also 63 total matches, meaning not all can occur in prime hours for fans. Argentine club River Plate is playing Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds at Lumen Field on Tuesday at noon local time ($24 tickets), while a noon game between Brazil's Fluminense and Germany's Borussia Dortmund had tickets available via Ticketmaster for $23. However, some matches were drawing fans, including Paris Saint-Germain's opener against Atletico Madrid on Sunday at the Rose Bowl, where the least expensive seats were $100. The least expensive ticket for July's tournament final available through Ticketmaster was $769. FIFA President Gianni Infantino urged fans to buy tickets at a hype event in the leadup to the tournament this week. 'Be part of history,' he said. 'Football is such an important sport all over the world. We have billions of people watching this Club World Cup from home who would love to club and to attend." ___ AP soccer: recommended
San Francisco Chronicle
17 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Minnesota women's coach Dawn Plitzuweit gets 2-year contract extension with raise
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota women's basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit has received a two-year contract extension that was approved Thursday by the university's board of regents. Plitzuweit is 47-29 over two seasons at Minnesota, including 13-23 in Big Ten play, with leading scorer Mara Braun missing much of them with foot injuries. The Gophers capped Plitzuweit's second year by winning the WBIT championship. They have not appeared in the NCAA Tournament since 2018. The new deal, which covers the next six seasons through 2031, gives Plitzuweit a raise of roughly 7% to bring her base salary to $900,000 for 2025-26, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune, with annual increases of $30,000. That's in the middle of the pack in the 18-team Big Ten, which sent 12 of them to the NCAA Tournament this year. Plitzuweit was hired away from West Virginia, where she spent one season, to replace Lindsay Whalen. Plitzuweit is the 13th head coach in the program's history. ___
Fox Sports
21 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Mets ace Kodai Senga headed for injured list with right hamstring strain
Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Mets pitcher Kodai Senga, the major league ERA leader, will be placed on the injured list after straining his right hamstring in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Washington Nationals. 'He's going to get an MRI tomorrow, we'll see the severity of it,' New York manager Carlos Mendoza said. 'But he's going to be on (the) IL here. So we've just got to wait and see what we're dealing with.' Senga allowed just two baserunners through the first 5 1/3 innings before racing to cover first on CJ Abrams' grounder to Pete Alonso. According to Mendoza, Senga said he felt his hamstring grab one stride before he made a leaping grab of Alonso's high throw. Senga touched the bag with his right foot on his way down. He stumbled upon landing and reached for the back of his right leg before hopping and eventually tumbling to the ground. Senga was visited by his interpreter, an athletic trainer and Mendoza before being surrounded by teammates. The right-hander got up and walked off the field on his own, albeit with a slight limp. Alonso has struggled making accurate throws to pitchers covering first base this season, but Senga relayed to Alonso that he got injured before he reached for the toss. 'I talked to (Alonso) right away as soon as the inning was over — I went up to him and I was like, `Hey man, this is baseball, it happens,'' Mendoza said. 'And then Senga went in, he sent the translator and basically told him, hey, I felt it on the step before the jump, so tell him not to worry about it.' Alonso remained downcast after the game. 'I still feel awful,' Alonso said. 'I tried to make the best throw I could and it just sucks. It sucks to be involved in that. Senga, he's one of our guys here and it sucks. You hate to see anyone go down, Yeah, it sucks being a part of that.' Paul Blackburn, who blanked the Los Angeles Dodgers over five innings in his season debut June 2, is the most likely candidate to replace Senga in the rotation next Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves. Frankie Montas (right lat) and Sean Manaea (right oblique) are on minor league rehab assignments recovering from injuries they sustained in spring training. 'I keep saying it. Injuries happen,' Mendoza said. 'We feel for him, but nobody's going to feel sorry for us. We've got people coming and the guys that are healthy now, they will continue to step up.' Riding a six-game winning streak, the Mets have the best record in the majors at 45-24 — thanks largely to a stingy pitching staff paced by Senga. The 5 2/3 scoreless innings of one-hit ball lowered Senga's ERA to 1.47. Left-hander Jose Castillo entered with the Mets leading 4-0. The leg injury is the second in two seasons for Senga, who strained his left calf in his only regular-season start last July 26. After missing the first 102 games because of a right shoulder injury, Senga gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Braves before he was injured sprinting off the mound to clear room for Alonso to catch a popup by Austin Riley. Senga returned to make three appearances, including two brief starts, in the playoffs. 'I just spoke with him — obviously frustrated, but I told him he's going to be back and he's going to be an important part of this team when he gets back,' Mendoza said Thursday. 'Sucks that he's got to go through it again, but hey, we'll get him back.' ___ AP MLB: recommended
