2026 FIFA World Cup Stadiums: Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey

Image Credit: aboodi vesakaran

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place in Canada, Mexico and the United States from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Among the 16 host cities, Mexico will host matches in the two following stadiums:

• Estadio Akron (Guadalajara);

• Estadio Azteca (Mexico City); and

• Estadio BBVA (Monterrey).

While Estadio Akron and Estadio BBVA are relatively new stadiums, Estadio Azteca is an iconic stadium that has hosted a number of high-stakes Liga MX and CONCACAF Champions Cup/League matches, as well as two World Cup tournaments (1970 and 1986). That said, with Mexico becoming the first country to host three World Cup tournaments, Estadio Azteca becomes the first stadiums to host matches from three different World Cup tournaments. It is also the largest stadium in North America by capacity, at over 87,000.

Below is a preview of the three host stadiums, from the year the stadium was built, to the tenants that play in the stadium to some of the iconic matches that took place on the stadium’s pitch.

Estadio Akron

Image Credit: Miguel Ramírez

• City: Zapopan (greater Guadalajara), Jalisco

• Built: July 2010 (broke ground in February 2004)

• Capacity: 49,813

• Tenant(s): CD Guadalajara (Liga MX club) and Mexico senior men’s national team (select matches)

• Previous World Cup stadium: No

• Non-World Cup iconic matches:

  • 2013 Liga MX Clausura final second-leg match (Guadalajara defeated league rivals Tigres UANL 2-1, 4-3 on aggregate)

  • 2018 CONCACAF Champions League final second-leg match (Guadalajara defeated Major League Soccer club Toronto FC on penalties)

  • 2023 Liga MX Clausura final second-leg match (Tigres defeated Guadalajara 3-2 after extra-time)

• Hosted the following Intercontinental Playoff matches:

  • Path A semifinal: New Caledonia vs Jamaica (0-1)

  • Path A final: DR Congo vs Jamaica (1-0)

• Matches taking place in the 2026 World Cup:

  • Group A: South Korea vs Czechia or Denmark (June 11)

  • Group A: Mexico vs South Korea (June 18)

  • Group K: Colombia vs DR Congo or Jamaica (June 23)

  • Group H: Uruguay vs Spain (June 26)

Estadio Azteca

Image Credit: Guido Coppa

• City: Coyoacán (greater Mexico City), CDMX

• Built: May 1966 (broke ground in 1961; underwent multiple renovations, the most recent of which finished in early 2026)

• Capacity: 87,523

• Tenant(s): Club América, Cruz Azul and Mexico senior men’s national team (select matches)

• Previous World Cup Stadium: 1970 and 1986

• World Cup iconic matches:

  • 1970 FIFA World Cup semifinal (Italy defeated West Germany 4-3 after extra-time)

  • 1970 World Cup final (Brazil defeated Italy 4-1)

  • 1986 World Cup quarterfinal (Argentina defeated England 2-1)

  • 1986 World Cup final (Argentina defeated West Germany 3-2)

• Matches taking place in the 2026 World Cup:

  • Group A: Mexico vs South Africa – opening match (June 11)

  • Group K: Uzbekistan vs Colombia (June 17)

  • Group A: Czechia vs Mexico (June 24)

  • Round of 32: Winner Group A vs 3rd place of group C, E, F, H or I (June 30)

  • Round of 16: Winner match #79 vs winner match #80 (July 5)

Estadio BBVA

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

• City: Guadalupe (greater Monterrey), Nuevo León

• Year built: July 2015 (broke ground in August 2011)

• Capacity: 53,529

• Tenant(s): CF Monterrey (Liga MX club)

• Previous World Cup stadium: No

• Non-World Cup iconic matches:

  • 2016 Liga MX Clausura final second-leg match (Monterrey drew league rivals CF Pachuca 1-1, won 2-1 on aggregate)

  • 2017 Liga MX Apertura final second-leg match (Tigres defeated Monterrey 2-1, won 3-2 on aggregate)

  • 2019 CONCACAF Champions League final second-leg match (Monterrey drew Tigre’s 1-1, won 2-1 on aggregate)

  • 2021 CONCACAF Champions League final (Monterrey defeated league rivals Club América 1-0)

  • 2024 Liga MX Clausura final second-leg match (Monterrey drew América 1-1, lost 3-2 on aggregate)

• Hosted the following Intercontinental Playoff matches:

  • Path B semifinal: Bolivia vs Suriname (2-1)

  • Path B final: Iraq vs Bolivia (2-1)

• Matches taking place in the 2026 World Cup:

  • Group F: Sweden or Poland vs Tunisia (June 14)

  • Group F: Tunisia vs Japan (June 20)

  • Group A: South Africa vs South Korea (June 24)

  • Round of 32: Winner Group F vs Runner-up Group C (June 29)