Workers are hammering, cranes are swinging and seats are being bolted into place — but the clock is ticking. Mexico City’s famous Azteca stadium, reborn as Estadio Banorte, is in a frantic race to be ready for its grand reopening on Saturday.
Drone footage showed crews installing seats and attaching the new stadium name to the facade, with cranes looming overhead 48 hours before the gates are due to open for a high-profile friendly between Mexico and Portugal.
For residents, the breakneck pace of construction has done little to inspire confidence.
Photo: AFP
“I know they are working practically seven days a week, 24 hours a day, trying to finish it,” local resident Emilio Castrejon told
Reuters. “But what I’ve heard is that it’s very complicated for them to finish it.”
The venue is going to host five matches at this year’s World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, the U.S. and Canada, and the opening ceremony on June 11.
Photo: Bloomberg
It would become the first stadium to host matches at three World Cups, having done so in 1970 and 1986.
Renovation work has included new seating, upgraded locker rooms, improved lighting, enhanced digital infrastructure and a rebuilt pedestrian bridge linking the light-rail station and bus terminal in the surrounding Huipulco neighborhood.
Roads and sidewalks in the wider area have been repaved and modernized.
The project has been plagued with delays from the outset. Resident Elizabeth Herrera acknowledged the disruption but pointed to deeper frustrations.
“I understand the annoyance of the neighbors,” she said. “What I don’t like is that it was very rushed. They knew for a long time in advance that some World Cup matches would be held here; and there was a lot of time to do it.”
However, not everyone is downbeat. Ana Dominguez said the broader transformation of the area gave her hope.
“It gives me more security,” she said. “Renovations are
difficult even in our homes. A renovation is difficult, but after all, when it’s finished, you see the change. I wanted to sit here in the garden to visualize. This was an area that you couldn’t walk through comfortably, not only drugs, [but] street stands.”
The stadium has passed its final audio and video tests in the presence of soccer authorities — a key milestone confirming its readiness. Saturday’s match against Portugal is the ultimate stress test. A banner draped near the stadium read: “The ball returns home”.
Whether home is truly ready remains, for now, an open question.
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
Liverpool are in advanced talks with former AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as they seek a replacement for Arne Slot, reports said on Tuesday. Iraola has emerged as Liverpool’s top target to replace Slot, who was sacked on Saturday last week after a turbulent second season in charge. Liverpool have reportedly agreed a deal in principle to bring the Spaniard, who left Bournemouth at the end of this season, to Anfield. Sporting director Richard Hughes was heavily involved in hiring Iraola during his time at Bournemouth and is again spearheading the recruitment of the highly rated coach. The Reds are
RSS