2026 World Cup: Stadium To Host Mexico vs South Africa Sinking

Fears are growing that the Azteca World Cup stadium, venue for the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup between Mexico and South Africa is sinking – while fans worryingly spotted concrete chunks breaking off, The Sun reports.

The Estadio Azteca in Mexico City first opened in 1966 and is one of the most iconic football stadiums on the planet.

It staged both the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals and has five fixtures scheduled for this summer’s tournament, where its capacity will be 72,766.

That includes the opening match – Mexico vs South Africa on June 11 – plus a potential last-16 clash between the co-hosts and England.

However, there are significant safety concerns just a month out from the curtain-raiser.

Fan video footage shared on social media from last Monday’s Liga MX Clausura quarter-final between Club America and Pumas UNAM caused alarm.

Footage from the Azteca – aka the Banorte Stadium – showed loose fragments of concrete, even in the section of the stand recently renovated for the World Cup.

While no injuries have been reported, one fan was able to pick up a large piece that had crumbled off and said to the camera: “I have a souvenir from the match.”

Other renovation work has been done to improve the facade, access, changing rooms, lighting and hospitality areas.

Sadly, at the reopening match between Mexico and Portugal at the end of March, a fan died after falling from a box.

Reuters reported that authorities said the man was intoxicated and tried to climb and jump from ​the second-level box seats to ​the ⁠first level but suffered the fatal fall.

The road and pavements around the stadium were also redone as part of the update.

However, in early March, a sinkhole appeared on the road surrounding the stadium.

And a Coca-Cola truck – sponsors of the World Cup – got stuck in the sinkhole and needed recovery assistance to get out again, as Fifa representatives inspected the stadium.

Mexico City has one of the fastest subsidence rates in the world – in large part because it is built on an ancient lake bed.

Around 60 per cent of the city’s 22million-and-growing population’s water supply comes from an aquifer underneath.

Parts of the capital are sinking at nearly ten inches per year while the international airport is moving by around 0.8 inches per month.

The sinking is having a major impact on infrastructure with buildings leaning, water pipes affected and transport links such as roads and the metro system warped – plus 14 steps have needed adding to the base of the iconic 45m-tall Angel of Independence statue.

As a result, Nasa has been deployed to keep a close eye on the city – and the Azteca – using their super high-tech advanced radar in space.