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Malay Mail
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Mexico City's Azteca Stadium undergoes major revamp ahead of unprecedented third World Cup
MEXICO CITY, June 6 — Decades after hosting victories by Pele's Brazil and Diego Maradona's Argentina, Mexico City's legendary Azteca Stadium is undergoing a major revamp as it prepares to feature in an unprecedented third World Cup. Mexico's previous World Cups are widely regarded as two of the best ever, evoking the magic of Pele and the 1970 Brazil team and the genius of Maradona in the 1986 tournament won by Argentina. But the Azteca's glory has since faded, leaving the six-decade-old stadium in need of an overhaul before the 2026 World Cup, which Mexico will co-host with the United States and Canada. Construction has progressed 'considerably,' according to officials at the stadium, which will be the venue for five World Cup matches including the opening clash on June 11. With much of the renovation kept under wraps, even the man who oversaw the original construction of what he calls 'an icon of Mexican architecture and engineering' is unsure what to expect. 'I have no idea what it's going to look like, but I hope it turns out very well,' architect Luis Martinez del Campo told AFP. 'One flaw' For the 2026 World Cup, FIFA required more comfortable seating, Wi-Fi for spectators, and hybrid turf made from a combination of natural grass and synthetic fibers. The capacity will increase from 83,264 to 90,000. A major improvement will be a new players' tunnel. 'The stadium only has one flaw that we knew about since we were designing it,' said Martinez del Campo, now 90. Due to the location of a water drain, players previously arrived from the locker rooms through a tunnel behind the goal. Next year, they will burst into view at the side of the pitch. In February, the stadium's owner, Grupo Ollamani, revealed that investment in remodelling the venue had reached nearly $80 million. The next month, Ollamani said that it had agreed to rename the stadium after the Banorte bank in return for more than $100 million to continue the renovation. The sponsorship deal means the venue will be called Banorte Stadium for 12 years, to the dismay of fans. Martinez del Campo believes that while the Azteca Stadium name is 'timeless,' anyone who invests a lot of money in the venue 'deserves to have their name on it.' Since FIFA does not allow commercial names on stadiums during championships, it will be called Mexico City Stadium during the World Cup. VIP box row Controversy also surrounds the luxury boxes and seats that people bought to finance the stadium's construction, giving them the right to attend all the events there for 99 years after its inauguration in 1966. During the 1970 and 1986 World Cups, box and seat owners were allowed to attend matches, but FIFA wants to have access to all the seats by 2026. An association of box and seat owners is negotiating with stadium officials to defend its rights. The Azteca Stadium has hosted a record 19 World Cup matches, which will increase to 24 next year, including a third opening match. In the northern city of Monterrey, the remodeling continues at the BBVA Stadium, which will host four matches. The revamp required three major improvements, Alberto Molina, director of operations for local team C.F. Monterrey, told AFP. The pitch will also have a hybrid turf that workers aim to lay by next month, Molina said. The overhaul, which also includes remodeling the VIP boxes and expanding the press area, is on track to be completed this year, Molina said. At the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, which will also host four matches, a revamp involves new lighting and sound systems, high-speed Wi-Fi and hybrid turf. The city, located in one of Mexico's most crime-plagued states, will deploy several thousand police officers to provide security during the World Cup. — AFP
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BBC insiders breathe a sigh of relief after loose cannon Gary Lineker is finally given the bullet
From the stifling heat of Mexico's Azteca Stadium to the air conditioning of Match of the Day's Salford studio, Gary Lineker has made a career out of making the right call. Whether he was stealing behind Argentina's defence to score the goal that would win him a World Cup Golden Boot, or presenting one of Britain's most iconic sports shows in his underpants after his beloved Leicester City secured the unlikeliest of Premier League titles, he had a certain knack. In recent times that knack has deserted the 64-year-old, first of all with his decision in March 2023 to veer out of his lane and criticise the then government's new asylum policy. At the BBC, impartiality is king — opinions of those in the sports department should be on sport, not politics. There is a clear code and an understandable nervousness over upsetting those who contribute to Auntie's upkeep. That the suspension which followed led to a walk-out from seemingly supportive staff only worsened matters. Many privately felt 'backed into a corner' with little option but to follow the golden boy out of the door. When Lineker's suspension was lifted, the bad taste lingered. Lineker did not learn from his mis-step. In February, he was at it again, this time as one of 500 high-profile figures who signed an open letter urging the BBC to rebroadcast a documentary, Gaza: How to Survive A Warzone, on iPlayer. It had emerged the 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official. Lineker was swinging for the fence — only to his paymasters there were no home runs. Instead came a third strike, which arrived last week, and he was out. Lineker insists he is not anti-Semitic and that he shared an Instagram post on Zionism without realising it featured a particularly harmful image of a rat, the animal used to represent Jews in anti-Semitic propaganda throughout history, including by the Nazis in 1930s Germany. Almost immediately his position was deemed 'untenable'. It caused serious embarrassment for BBC director general Tim Davie, who sought counsel from director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski, whom Lineker had criticised in a recent newspaper interview. Only last week, Davie gave a speech on trust, disinformation and impartiality at the Lowry Centre near the BBC's MediaCity home in Salford. 'The BBC's reputation is held by everyone and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us,' he told the audience. 'We absolutely need people to be the exemplars of BBC values and follow our social media policies, simple as that.' Davie was quick to act after Lineker's latest transgression, hastily arranging a series of meetings. He is thought to have led on the decision to part company with Lineker now, with the full support of Kay-Jelski. The situation was the talk of the building at the BBC's Salford and London bases. Many of the staff are fully behind the decision. 'There's a feeling of relief,' said one staffer. 'We're subject to strict rules on what we can and can't say and there was a feeling Gary could do what he wanted. Now nobody will have to brace themselves for what he posts next.' The prospect of Lineker airing such polarising views for another 12 months — before being invited back to host the BBC's World Cup coverage — was viewed as 'simply unpalatable'. In the initial announcement of Lineker's planned departure were details of a licensing deal between the BBC and his podcast production company. That agreement was for one year — and will not be extended. Lineker's repost will cost him hundreds of thousands. Whether he appears elsewhere next summer remains to be seen but one studio you will not see Lineker in is that of Qatari-owned beIN SPORTS, home to Richard Keys and Andy Gray after they left Sky in 2011 amid a sexism furore. Lineker, who was an outspoken critic of the Qatar World Cup, had previously pocketed £1.6million working for the Gulf state's sports broadcaster. When he then gave a 'virtue-signalling' monologue ahead of the opening match in 2022, singling out the host's record on migrant workers and immigration, it enraged beIN bosses. As for Sky? 'Highly unlikely', said one insider. Why? Because earlier this month he told the The Times of their coverage: 'They can spend 20 minutes covering a corner. It's not for me.' His comments did not go unnoticed at Sky HQ. ITV are the bookies' favourites. Lineker will be replaced on Match of the Day by Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman, who are also likely to step in for the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Lineker started as a BBC Radio 5 Live presenter and also worked on Grandstand during his early years in broadcasting. This is not the ending he had hoped for. Within the building, attention has turned to his Sunday send-off and there is a desire to do things the right way. Regardless of Lineker's exit, his service and longevity cannot be questioned. Davie emailed staff at 12.06pm yesterday and shared the press release which had been sent to the media. Moments later, a note from Kay-Jelski dropped. It read: 'You will have seen that Gary Lineker will be leaving the BBC at the end of the season. I appreciate the last week has been difficult and emotional for many of you. Thank you for the messages and conversations, even if some of them weren't easy to have. 'It is sad to be saying goodbye to such a brilliant broadcaster and I want to thank Gary for his years of service. As ever, if you have questions you know where I am. 'Let's finish the season strongly with Gary's final show and look forward to what lies ahead.' Lineker is said to be heartbroken. His representatives have failed to respond to requests for comment. Can he rediscover the touch that used to serve him so well? The first task will be finding someone willing to take a chance — a skill he once excelled at.
Washington Post
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Azteca Stadium to reopen 75 days before start of the 2026 World Cup
MEXICO CITY — The revamped Azteca Stadium is scheduled to reopen 75 days before the start of the 2026 World Cup with improved services around it, Mexico City mayor Clara Brugada announced on Wednesday. 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. Brugada did not reveal further details regarding the reopening of the stadium on March 28, 2026. Stadium director Felix Aguirre said they are thinking long term. 'The stadium is moving ahead with its renovations so it can work for the next 40 or 50 years,' he said. 'We are respecting its legacy, but we also want to improve the fan experience.' The stadium owners, a company related to Televisa, Mexico's largest television network, have 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 . Brugada also said that for the 2026 World Cup, they are going to improve a light rail line that heads toward Azteca, will enhance outdoor lighting and a pedestrian bridge around it among other things. On game days, the Xochimilco Light Rail known as Tren Ligero is one of the fastest ways to reach the stadium, located south of the city, but it currently has 20 trains and the city's government will purchase 17 more. 'We will have around 40 trains to attend a daily requirement of over 400,000 passengers,' Brugada said. The current capacity of the trains is 160,000 passengers per day and the ride from Taxqueña station, the closest metro line, to the stadium is around 15 minutes with trains departing every 10 minutes. Brugada said that with more trains the departures time will be shorter. The mayor said they will be upgrading the city's video surveillance camera system for the tournament and adding 40,000 to have a total of 123,000. Mexico City's video surveillance system is called the Command, Control, Computing, Communications, and Citizen contact center known as C5. Besides the cameras, the system has 1,000 panic buttons to enhance public safety. 'The video surveillance system put us in the forefront, we are the most video-monitored city in Latin America,' Brugada said. Brugada also informed that Los Pinos, which until 2018 was the Mexican president's official office and residence, will serve as the media center. ___ AP soccer:
Bloomberg
08-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Mexico City to Invest $250 Million on World Cup Infrastructure
Mexico City is developing a financial structure to use as much as 5 billion pesos ($256 million) for new infrastructure works in preparation for games of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be played in the capital, according to a top city official. The plan seeks to use the resources that would have been allocated to government advertising on permanent infrastructure projects, including upgrading a train line to the iconic Azteca stadium (now known as the Banorte stadium), a new electric trolleybus line as well as repairs to the city's main avenues and streets, said Juan Pablo de Botton, the capital's finance minister.
Asharq Al-Awsat
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Mexico City Prepares to Welcome Millions for 2026 World Cup
Mexico City is gearing up to welcome more than five million visitors for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, whose opening match will be played in the sprawling megacity, authorities said Wednesday. The top football tournament will be held in Mexico, the United States and Canada, marking the first time that three countries co-host the event, reported AFP. Three of the 16 venues will be in the Latin American nation, with the central city of Guadalajara and northern industrial hub of Monterrey sharing Mexico's host duties with the capital. Eleven other venues will be in the United States and two in Canada. Mexico's government and city authorities are working together "to ensure that the experience is safe and smooth," Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez said at a presentation. "More than five million people are expected to arrive" for the matches in Mexico City, which has around nine million residents and is more than 2,200 meters (7,200 feet) above sea level, she said. The iconic Azteca Stadium, which has hosted two FIFA World Cup finals, is on track to be renovated by the time the whistle blows for the opening match on June 11, according to organizers. More than $100 million is being invested in the stadium, its general director Felix Aguirre said, promising that it "will be ready." The renovation triggered controversy after the venue was renamed after the bank that funded the work. FIFA ordered the stadium to be referred to as Mexico City Stadium because of its branding rules. Addressing security concerns in a country plagued by criminal violence, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada said 40,000 new security cameras would be acquired, bringing the total to 123,000. "We will be the most video-surveilled city in all of the Americas," she said. Organizers called for a World Cup free of homophobia, racism and other attacks on civil liberties. FIFA has repeatedly sanctioned Mexico for homophobic chanting by its fans in stadiums.
