"The Colossus of Santa Úrsula rises 7,350 feet above sea level in Mexico City's southern suburbs. Estadio Azteca is the historic place where Pelé lifted the 1970 World Cup trophy, and Maradona conjured the "Hand of God" and "Goal of the Century" in 1986. Embed from Getty Images No stadium carries football history like this one. Two World Cup finals (1970, 1986), nineteen total World Cup matches,"
"When Brazil's Carlos Alberto thundered home the final goal of a nine-player move in the 1970 final, a goal still considered the most beautifully constructed one to be scored in World Cup history, the Azteca's 105,000 capacity crowd witnessed poetry. When Maradona dribbled past five England players four minutes after punching one past Peter Shilton in 1986, the same grass hosted both blasphemy and divinity."
On June 11, 2026 Estadio Azteca becomes the only stadium to host three World Cup opening ceremonies. The stadium sits in the Colossus of Santa Úrsula at roughly 2,200 meters (7,200 feet) altitude and amplifies crowd noise through its acoustic design. Estadio Azteca hosted two World Cup finals (1970, 1986) and nineteen total World Cup matches, including the 1970 semi-final 'Game of the Century.' Historic moments include Pelé lifting the 1970 trophy, Carlos Alberto's celebrated final goal, and Maradona's 'Hand of God' and 'Goal of the Century.' The stadium opened in 1966, was designed by Pedro Ramírez Vázquez and Rafael Mijares Alcérreca, and currently seats 87,523 after renovations. Club América's success and Mexico's national team performance are tied to its pitch and altitude.
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