Estadio Azteca renamed in deal to fund World Cup renovations

Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca, a historical venue for planetary soccer, has officially been renamed Estadio Banorte arsenic portion of a fiscal statement to money its renovation up of the men’s 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The stadium, which has hosted 2 men’s World Cup finals and is acceptable to go the archetypal venue to big 3 tournaments, volition person a 2.1 cardinal peso (US $105.6 million) indebtedness from Banorte, 1 of Mexico’s starring banks.

Renovations are already underway astatine the stadium, which volition big the opening lucifer of the FIFA World Cup successful June 2026. (Rogelio Morales/Cuartoscuro)

The indebtedness volition beryllium repaid implicit 12 years and supplements the 1.5 cardinal pesos (US $75.4 million) already invested by Ollamani, the stadium’s owners.

The renaming marks lone the 2nd clip successful the stadium’s 58-year past that its sanction has changed. In 1997, it was concisely called Guillermo Cañedo Stadium successful grant of a salient Mexican shot enforcement who had conscionable died.

Though fans ne'er afloat embraced the change, determination are reportedly immoderate postulation signs astir Mexico City inactive pointing the mode to Estadio Guillermo Cañedo.

This time, Banorte’s sponsorship includes naming rights arsenic good arsenic advertizing and promotional privileges wrong the venue — which has already been selected to big the opening ceremonial and archetypal lucifer of the World Cup connected June 11, 2026.

Mexico, the United States and Canada volition big the adjacent World Cup, marking the archetypal clip it volition beryllium hosted by 3 countries. Teams and matchups successful the expanded 48-team tourney won’t beryllium determined until the qualifying process is completed successful coming months.

Estadio Azteca (Aztec Stadium) volition big the opening lucifer and 2 different games successful the radical stage; Monterrey (BBVA Stadium) volition besides big 3 matches successful the radical stage; and Guadalajara volition big 4 group-stage matches astatine Akron Stadium successful Zapopan, Jalisco.

In all, 16 stadiums volition beryllium used, including 2 successful Canada and 11 successful the United States, wherever each quarterfinals, semifinals and the last volition beryllium held.

However,  FIFA regulations prohibit sponsor names during tournaments, meaning Estadio Banorte volition revert to Estadio Azteca for authoritative World Cup branding, and the July 19 last volition beryllium played astatine what FIFA is listing arsenic New York New Jersey Stadium (rather than MetLife Stadium) successful East Rutherford, N.J.

Un nuevo escenario llega para hacer historia. ¡#EstadioBanorte! https://t.co/6ACL0DiVV8 pic.twitter.com/zGUfnr3Y75

— Banorte (@Banorte_mx) March 14, 2025

The determination to rename Mexico’s astir celebrated stadium has sparked important discontent among fans.

A survey by the integer quality root Aristegui Noticias recovered that lone 15.4% of respondents supported the change, portion 84.6% disapproved. The backlash has been evident connected societal media and reflects the heavy taste value of the archetypal name.

Known affectionately arsenic “the Colossus of Santa Ursula” — for it determination successful an country of confederate CDMX antecedently known arsenic Santa Úrsula — Estadio Azteca holds memories of legendary World Cup moments, specified arsenic Pelé’s triumph successful 1970 and Maradona’s “Hand of God” extremity successful 1986.

The stadium present seats astir 83,000 aft being scaled backmost from 105,000.

Renovation enactment began successful precocious 2024 — meaning the Club América teams successful Liga MX (men) and Liga MX Femenil (women) person been playing astatine different stadiums successful the superior metropolis for the clip being.

The enactment is expected to reason by precocious 2025 oregon aboriginal 2026 and beryllium acceptable for the World Cup. Moreover, the stadium mightiness beryllium connected the planetary signifier again soon, arsenic Mexico and the U.S. are favored to big the 2031 Women’s World Cup

By Friday of past week, the “Azteca” logo had been removed from signage and promotional materials. There’s adjacent a caller website for the venue.

With reports from ESPN, Expansión and Aristegui Noticias