Estadio Azteca: the ground that will not host the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final

Most football fans have one or a few iconic stadiums that come to their minds when asked what ground they would wish to experience a football match at. Some say Anfield, while many votes go to the Signal Iduna Park, and others suggest Maracana or La Bombonera. Whenever I’m asked this question, my answer is always Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, and while that may not be a very popular choice, I have compelling arguments. That’s why I am so dissatisfied with the fact that next year’s World Cup will not feature a single match at this venue after the round of sixteen. The reason, as ever when it comes to FIFA’s decision-making, is money. Matches in the US are simply more lucrative for the organisers. And that’s why every game from the quarter-finals onward is being hosted in the USA. Still, as someone who is fascinated by the history of the game, I would like to stand by the claim that the one stadium in that whole continent that perfectly fits the bill to be the venue for the World Cup final match is the Estadio Azteca.

Mexico became the first country to host multiple FIFA World Cups, and to this day, no other country has hosted two World Cups with just 16 years separating them. In the upcoming 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup, Mexico, as co-hosts alongside the US and Canada, will be the first country to host three different FIFA World Cup tournaments. And yes, Estadio Azteca was the venue for the final in both of the two former stagings, therefore making it the only stadium to host multiple World Cup finals (while Maracana comes really close, having hosted the last match of the final group that became the de facto final of the 1950 World Cup alongside the 2014 FIFA World Cup final). And these two finals are the two most vividly remembered and recounted events in the history of football, which had crucial ramifications in the process of making football into a global event in the latter half of the twentieth century.

The first of these came on June 21st of 1970, as the Brazil team, considered by many as one of the greatest ever, played a game that received massive global coverage as the men in the yellow and green, marshalled by Pele, soundly defeated a talented Italian side to claim their third FIFA World Cup crown to take the Jules Rimet trophy home. This match has been endlessly talked about, from Pele’s header to the cherry on top, the last goal, culminating in the fullback Carlos Alberto propping up unmarked and scoring. While football has seen many great sides before and since, the worldwide appeal that this Brazil side engendered remains almost matchless in the history of the sport, and this match acts as a constant point of reference for what football at its best looks like.

The second came on June 29, 1986, as Argentina, led by Diego Armando Maradona in his prime, defeated a spirited West German side to claim their second World Cup triumph. This was around the time when televisions were gaining popularity in less affluent economies. Maradona’s displays in that World Cup are still considered one of, if not the best, individual performances in the entire history of the World Cup. As the event that crowned Maradona’s Argentina champions, this match, like the 1970 final for Brazil, ensured that there would be massive groups of supporters from around the world who would cheer for them once every four years. It is hardly a surprise that most non-Brazilians and non-Argentinians who support Brazil and Argentina today have encountered their moments of great enchantment in the final matches held at the Estadio Azteca or have followed the footsteps of those who have.

That’s not all. The World Cup pedigree of this ground goes further. This ground is witness to what has long been considered the greatest ever world cup match which was an end to end affair that saw a hatful of goals scored in the extra time, as Italy, with an inspired Rivera, knocked out a West German side that boasted the likes of Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller 4-3 in the semifinals of the 1970 world cup. A plaque was erected in the ground in memory of this match, calling the event “The game of the century”. And, finally, it was Estadio Azteca, where England played Argentina in one of the most-discussed World Cup matches ever at the quarter-final stage of the 1986 World Cup. This game witnessed two of the most famous goals scored in the history of the game. The first of the two was the famed Hand of God, the other being the goal of the century. Both goals were scored by Maradona, just a few minutes apart.

When it comes to historic significance as a World Cup venue, it is almost impossible to find a ground that carries anywhere near the gravity of Estadio Azteca. Even though the rules of money-making that FIFA dutifully goes by deny the ground its rightful place, the football-romantic worldwide will forever have a soft corner for Estadio Azteca, where both Pele and Maradona enjoyed their most cherished moments.