A death, poor organization, and a dull draw overshadow the reopening of the Azteca Stadium | OneFootball

The Mexican national team inaugurated the Azteca Stadium—now, for sponsorship reasons, called Estadio Banorte, the name of a Mexican bank—but could not wrap up the occasion in the way fans in attendance, as well as the players and coaching staff, had hoped.

A Long Renovation…

Despite being a historic day for Mexican football, the Azteca Stadium reopened after 22 months of renovation. As we know, it has spent a year and eight months undergoing work ahead of the 2026 World Cup, where it will become the first stadium in football history to host three World Cups. The Azteca will host the opening match on June 11, where Mexico will face South Africa in what is expected to be an unforgettable celebration.

But going back to last night, beyond Mexico’s 0–0 draw with Portugal in a match lacking excitement—one they could have even lost, as Portugal created the better chances—the crowd left frustrated.

Inside, the Azteca looks absolutely beautiful. The renovation is evident in the seats, the press room, and the pitch, which looks outstanding—top-tier quality—as well as in the stadium screens, LED lighting, and the 360-degree displays that make it a World Cup–level venue. A total of $300 million was invested, but outside, renovations are still ongoing, and it doesn’t seem like there will be much change compared to before.

…Still Lacking in Some Areas

The investment was significant, but perhaps more could have been spent on improving the parking areas. There are still parts of the stadium where the structure looks worn. I remember that a few years ago, when this renovation was planned, there was talk of building a shopping plaza and improving the entire Santa Úrsula Coapa area, considered a lower-middle-class neighborhood in Mexico.

There were also mentions of improvements in lighting, bike lanes, and overall urban development, but in the end, it seems the renovation focused mainly on the stadium’s interior.

A Wrong-Footed Reopening

As mentioned, Mexico failed to score against Portugal, and fans expressed their frustration. They had to hold back their goal celebrations—and how did they vent? With boos directed at the players and the infamous homophobic chant toward the opposing goalkeeper, which is already known worldwide.

Mexico has been sanctioned multiple times in the Gold Cup and the Concacaf Nations League, and the Mexican Football Federation has received fines, but frustrated fans continue to find ways to express their anger. Last night, despite the stadium trying to drown out the chant with music and noise over the speakers, it couldn’t. The crowd’s frustration was evident, and they didn’t seem to care that FIFA president Gianni Infantino was in attendance.

This was the first test the Azteca had to pass on the road to the World Cup. We know that the intercontinental playoff, which will grant the final World Cup spots, is being held in Guadalajara and Monterrey, where Infantino was present last week, and those stadiums apparently passed.

An Unfortunate Tragedy

I wouldn’t say the Azteca failed, but there was tragic news: a fan, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, died after falling from a suite area in what is now called Estadio Banorte.

Beyond the match, the debut of Álvaro Fidalgo, the return of Guillermo Ochoa—although he did not play—the consolidation of Tala Rangel as the starting goalkeeper, and the minutes given to “La Hormiga” Armando González, one of Mexico’s brightest young prospects who was cheered by the entire crowd—all of that was overshadowed.

Fans wanted to see him on the field and chanted for him throughout the match, but that excitement didn’t translate into goals and was ultimately affected by the tragedy.

Thus, the Azteca begins its new era on the wrong foot. Additionally, many fans complained about the organization, as some were still unable to enter the stadium 15 or 20 minutes into the first half. They voiced strong dissatisfaction, highlighting poor logistics by the authorities.

Reselling Controversy

Many fans who paid high prices for this match had a bad experience. What was supposed to be a celebration ended up being affected by poor organization, the death of a fan, and the team’s poor performance under Javier Aguirre.

Now, the Mexican national team will travel to Chicago to face Belgium, who are coming off a 5–2 win over the United States, making them a much tougher opponent than Portugal, who were missing Cristiano Ronaldo due to injury.

That was also one of the biggest disappointments for Mexican fans. Due to ticket resales—something we are all familiar with—many purchased tickets at extremely high prices. Reselling is illegal in Mexico, but in practice, it operates as a business.

A few weeks ago, it was confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo would not travel to Mexico City, and ticket prices dropped dramatically. However, many had already bought them for 18,000 to 20,000 pesos (around $1,000 USD), which caused even more frustration.

Rough Road Ahead for Mexico

Returning to the bittersweet reopening, Mexico will travel this Sunday to Chicago to prepare for the match at Soldier Field, which will close out this FIFA international window.

After that, there will be three more friendlies against Serbia, Australia, and Ghana in May—these will be the final tests for Javier Aguirre before the debut against South Africa.

The problem is that this Mexican team still hasn’t found its identity. It continues to struggle to score and fails to create chances for Raúl Jiménez to finish.

Yesterday, Aguirre opted for Roberto Alvarado and Brian Gutiérrez, formerly of the Chicago Fire in MLS, but attacking opportunities were virtually nonexistent.

With only a few months to go before the World Cup, the coach must be concerned: the team isn’t functioning, several key players are injured, and many may not arrive in good form.

Hopefully, they can recover… for the good of the Mexican national team.