The brand value of the Azteca stadium reaches high prices thanks to two chapters in its history: the Brazil of Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pelé) in 1970 and the Argentina of Diego Armando Maradona in 1986. Due to the participation of these world soccer icons on the lawn of Santa Úrsula, its surplus value continues to be one of the highest in the international market despite not having the infrastructure of other venues with higher technology.
The Aztec stadium It will add a third chapter to its market value during the summer of 2026, when it becomes the first stadium on the planet to host three editions of a FIFA World Cup in its main category (men’s senior). To host this event, it is estimated that it will have an investment of 150 million dollars to enable areas such as a shopping center and a larger parking lot.
Among the benefits that the World Cup 2026 to the property is to give validity and youth to the brand, explains to El Economista, Armando Escamilla, specialist in sports marketing and sponsorships and managing partner of the Patroria consultancy.
“It is going to give it another 50 years of life because currently, in this trend of sports tourism where local and international trips already take place a lot depending on which stadium you can visit and what show you can see, the Azteca has the drive to attract fans from South America and Europe, for the history of Pelé and Maradona or having hosted the game of the century (Germany vs. Italy in 1970, with Franz Beckenbauer). The new World Cup (2026) comes to revalue the brand and give it an injection of youth”.
But not only soccer has been in charge of covering the history of the Azteca stadium. In its 56 years of life, the venue has received influxes of more than 100,000 people in events such as the boxing match between Julio César Chávez and Greg Haugen, the visit of Pope John Paul II, as well as concerts by U2, Elton John and Michael Jackson.
Although the building reduced its capacity from more than 100,000 to 81,000 after the renovations of the last three years, it is still the one with the largest capacity in Mexico and is also one of the most powerful within the 16 venues chosen for the 2026 World Cup, only the height of the 82,500 that MetLife in New York can receive and the 80,000 of AT&T in Dallas.
This capacity keeps the Azteca stadium in the fight to host the 2026 World Cup final, although Yon De Luisa, president of the Mexican Soccer Federation (FMF)estimates that the title match will be held in the United States: “In terms of the 2026 World Cup final, it seems to me that it would be in EU. It is my feeling, that is how it has been discussed during all these years of preparation, but Gianni Infantino as president of FIFA the right to make decisions at the end is reserved, although in our accounts we would be thinking of hosting matches only in the group stage and the round of 16”.
Where he Aztec stadium if it remains distant, it is in the field of technological adaptations and comfort, mentions the specialist in Sports Marketing; this situation, in turn, keeps away potential individual sponsors for the property.
“We have heard about its renovation: a shopping center, hotel, parking lot, if all this is achieved, it will once again put the Azteca stadium as a valid brand for a long time to come and above all, attractive to have individual sponsorships, which today it does not have.” . The stadium, as a spot, does not have any sponsors like Arena México does, for example, with 11 sponsors”.
According to statements by Yon De Luisa, the Azteca will receive an investment of 150 million dollars to be remodeled between 2023 and 2025, contemplating opening the 13 VIP boxes that the venue has today to enable about 5,000 more general seats.
The project is also considered ‘Aztec Stadium Complex’, which would have 323,223 square meters on which a hotel and a better quality parking lot would be built than the current one, both with seven levels, as well as a four-story shopping plaza with recreational areas, green areas and different restaurant options. According to the specialized magazine, Inmobiliare, the investment would be private capital and the public sector would only be added in matters of road works.
“The entire infrastructure needs to be improved, have a good internet signal, see what stops card payments, digitization, new applications (…) The World Cup 2026 it becomes the perfect pretext to invest these 150 million dollars that Yon De Luisa is talking about, because without a doubt the issue of sufficient parking capacity is needed and above all to open up to a much more commercial issue, speaking as a venue that it can be a 24/7 business, hoping that it will be a venue that can be used throughout the week with different types of shows and not just every eight days with football”, he says Armando Escamilla.
Despite these infrastructure deficiencies, the Azteca stadium does not need a naming right to maintain or increase its brand value, explains the specialist, since its historical legacy under a name that exceeds half a century of existence has been an ideal combination in exposure terms.
“Enclosures like the BBVA or Akron They are looking to make these stadiums sustainable and be able to cover the years that the construction investment took. That is the difference with the Azteca, but I think that this seat that they have just been given over the 2026 World Cup makes it advance 30 years from one day to the next because it will have to start thinking about the remodeling and we will surely see the entry of many sponsors , because without a doubt it is a very attractive venue for everyone”.
The expectation is that the Aztec stadium receives four of the 10 games that correspond to Mexico during the World Cup 2026while three more will go to Akron (Guadalajara) and another three to BBVA (Monterrey). The economic benefit estimated by Yon De Luisa is at least 70 million dollars for each of the cities, including hotels, restaurants and presence at matches.
What will be the difference in the economic benefit for Mexico in the 2026 World Cup compared to 1970 and 1986?
“The big difference is that now it is going to be a world that will last much longer. Despite not having all the games as on those occasions, there will be experiences that the assistant can live and others for all soccer fans in the country. This is something that Mexico has mastered very well, it has generated memorable experiences, so today the difference is that we will live a much closer and longer World Cup, not only in the days of the 10 games that Mexico will play, but in all these experiences around the more than 60 that are going to be disputed”, answered flake.