Estadio Azteca, officially known for sponsorship purposes as Estadio Banorte, stands in the Coyoacán district of Mexico City and serves as the home ground of Club América and the Mexico national team. Located 2,200 meters above sea level, the venue holds 87,523 spectators, making it the biggest stadium in Latin America and one of the largest football arenas on the planet.

The stadium is widely recognized as one of world football’s most iconic venues. It became the first ground ever to stage two FIFA World Cup finals. In 1970, Brazil defeated Italy 4–1 there, while in 1986 Argentina overcame West Germany 3–2. The arena also welcomed the unforgettable quarter-final between Argentina and England in 1986, where Diego Maradona scored both the “Hand of God” goal and the celebrated “Goal of the Century.”

The venue occupies a unique place in football history because both Pelé and Diego Maradona lifted the World Cup trophy there. Pelé celebrated Brazil’s triumph in 1970 with the Jules Rimet Trophy, while Maradona raised the modern FIFA World Cup Trophy in 1986. Another historic encounter at the stadium was the famous “Game of the Century,” when Italy defeated West Germany 4–3 after extra time in the 1970 semi-finals.

Beyond World Cup matches, the arena hosted the football tournament during the 1968 Summer Olympics and welcomed the 1971 Women’s World Cup. It is also set to stage matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including the opening game between South Africa and Mexico, which will make it the only stadium to host three editions of the tournament.

From ambitious project to national symbol

The construction of the stadium began during the presidency of Adolfo López Mateos after Mexico received hosting rights for the 1968 Olympic Games. Architects Pedro Ramírez Vázquez and Rafael Mijares Alcérreca designed the massive project, and work officially started in 1961.

The opening match took place on 29 May 1966 between Club América and Torino F.C. At that time, the venue could accommodate 107,494 fans. Only a few days later, on 5 June 1966, a modern lighting system was introduced, and the first night match featured Valencia C.F. against Necaxa.

Over the decades, the stadium experienced several modernization projects. Seating areas were replaced, while electronic advertising systems were gradually added. In May 2015, Panasonic LED screens were installed at both ends of the venue, replacing the older phosphorous panels that had been in place since 1998.

The stadium also became a home for memorials dedicated to historic football moments. Bronze plaques commemorate both the “Game of the Century” and Maradona’s “Goal of the Century.” Another plaque honors the scorers of the first goal during the inaugural match and the first goal scored under the stadium lights.

Record crowds and unforgettable sporting moments

The stadium has witnessed enormous attendance across different sports. In 1993, 132,000 spectators filled the arena to watch Julio Cesar Chavez defeat Greg Haugen by technical knockout. The attendance remains the second-largest crowd ever recorded for a boxing match.

Mexico also produced memorable football victories there. Before facing Brazil at the stadium in 1968, the national team had failed to beat the South Americans in eight meetings. At the Azteca, however, Enrique Borja scored twice in a 2–1 victory over a Brazilian side featuring stars such as Carlos Alberto, Gerson, Rivelino, Jairzinho, and Tostao.

Another famous triumph arrived in 1999, when a Cuauhtemoc Blanco-inspired Mexico defeated Ronaldinho’s Brazil in the FIFA Confederations Cup final. The venue also hosted the 1983 FIFA U-20 World Cup final, where 110,000 spectators watched Brazil defeat Argentina with players such as Jorginho, Dunga, and Bebeto playing major roles.

The stadium’s international importance is reflected in the range of competitions held there. It remains the only venue to have staged the FIFA World Cup, FIFA U-20 World Cup, FIFA U-17 World Cup, and the Confederations Cup. In 1971, Denmark won the Female Football Championship there, a tournament considered a precursor to the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Discovering the culture around the stadium

Mexico City offers several cultural attractions close to the famous arena. Casa Azul, the longtime home of artist Frida Kahlo, preserves her paintings, family photographs, and personal belongings inside the striking blue residence. Visitors can also see objects connected to the hardships and injuries that shaped much of her life.

South of the capital lies Xochimilco, an area created from ancient canal systems and agricultural islands built by the Aztecs centuries ago. Today, the canals are famous for colorful trajinera boats, lively gatherings, and mariachi music that attract both residents and travelers during weekends.

Another major destination near the city is Teotihuacán, once among the largest urban centers in the Americas. The ancient settlement, abandoned centuries ago, still fascinates visitors with the Avenue of the Dead, the Pyramid of the Sun, and the Pyramid of the Moon. Some travelers even explore the site from above in hot air balloons.

To better understand the country’s pre-Columbian heritage, many visitors head to Museo Nacional de Antropología. The museum contains around 600,000 artifacts spread across 23 exhibition halls, including the renowned Aztec sunstone and the giant Olmec stone heads.

MetLife Stadium stands in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, roughly five miles west of New York City. Opened in 2010 as the successor to Giants Stadium, the venue became the home field for both the New York Giants and the New York Jets of the NFL. With construction costs estimated at $1.6 billion, it was recognized as the most expensive stadium ever built in the United States at the time it was completed.

The arena has become one of the country’s most significant sports venues. It hosted Super Bowl XLVIII and later welcomed several matches during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, including the tournament final. The stadium is also set to stage games during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, among them the championship match. During FIFA competitions, the building will temporarily operate under the name “New York/New Jersey Stadium” because of sponsorship regulations.

Holding more than 82,000 spectators, the venue is the largest stadium in New Jersey and also the NFL’s biggest facility by capacity. It is one of only two NFL stadiums shared by two franchises, alongside SoFi Stadium in California. In addition, it became the fifth sports venue in the New York metropolitan region to house multiple teams from the same professional league.

Architecture and adaptable design

The structure combines limestone-style stonework at its lower levels with glass and aluminum louvers covering the exterior. One of its most recognizable features is the lighting system built into the facade, which changes color according to the home team playing that day. Blue illumination represents the Giants, while green identifies the Jets.

This concept was inspired by Munich’s Allianz Arena, once shared by Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich. Unlike the former Giants Stadium, the newer venue can be transformed between the identities of the two NFL clubs in only a few hours. The aluminum louvers surrounding the building stretch a total of 50,000 meters, equal to more than 31 miles.

Fans seated along the front row at midfield are positioned only 46 feet from the sideline, giving the stadium the closest such seating arrangement in the NFL. Replacing team-specific field graphics is also a major operation. Two separate four-person crews spend close to 18 hours removing and changing the 40 turf sections that form the end zones for each franchise.

Technology and stadium features

Although many recently built NFL arenas include retractable roofs or enclosed designs, this stadium remained open-air after disagreements over financing prevented a roof from being added. Because of that decision, indoor spectacles such as the NCAA Final Four cannot take place there, despite earlier ambitions for a northern New Jersey indoor venue.

Large-scale digital technology is spread throughout the facility. Ten LED pylons positioned at the stadium entrances display video content connected to the team currently playing inside. Each tower stands approximately 54 feet tall and 20 feet wide, creating a highly visible feature around the complex.

Inside the building, four HD video displays measuring 30 by 116 feet hang from the corners of the upper deck. In 2025, the stadium introduced upgraded 8MM high-resolution LED corner boards together with a redesigned audio system that added more than 1,000 speakers throughout the seating bowl.

In June 2011, reports emerged that the New York-based insurance company MetLife was negotiating to secure the stadium’s naming rights. The agreement officially became final on August 23 of that year when a 25-year contract was signed, giving the venue the name it carries today.

Notable places across New Jersey

Beyond the stadium itself, New Jersey offers a variety of attractions. Cape May is known for its Victorian-era homes, colorful bed-and-breakfast properties, and the pedestrian-friendly Washington Street Mall. Visitors can also explore the historic Cape May Lighthouse, nearby World War II bunker sites, and local breweries or wineries.

In West Orange, the preserved estate and laboratories of Thomas Alva Edison showcase the place where the inventor developed creations such as the motion picture camera and alkaline storage battery. The site now forms part of a national park containing hundreds of thousands of artifacts and millions of historical documents.

Other destinations include Grounds for Sculpture, a 42-acre sculpture park and museum featuring works from more than 150 artists, as well as Camden’s Adventure Aquarium and the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial. Travelers heading to Margate can also visit Lucy the Elephant, the six-story elephant-shaped landmark first built in 1881 to attract real estate buyers to the shore town.

The 2026 edition will be larger than anything the competition has seen before.

Previous tournaments from 1998 to 2022 included 32 nations and 64 fixtures in total. This time, the event expands to 48 participants and 104 matches. Merely trimming the field to 32 sides will already require 72 fixtures, which is eight more than the entire schedule of a 32-team format.

Although three countries are co-hosting, the United States will stage far more than any other nation has ever managed in a single competition. It will host 14 more fixtures than the previous record and 26 more than it did when the event came to its soil in 1994.

The first 27 days of action, from the curtain raiser through the last-32 round, will feature 96 contests without a single rest day. Only one day will stage a solitary clash, and two other days will include two fixtures. All the remaining 24 days will deliver between three and six matches.

By the final week of the group stage, the calendar will be jam-packed. From June 24 to 27, 18 games will be played—more than the entire total of the 1934 edition, which only had 17.

The abandoned plan of three-team groups

Originally, FIFA had considered creating 16 trios instead of 12 groups of four.

That plan would have produced 80 fixtures in total, noticeably fewer than 104. It would also have been simpler to follow, with the two best teams moving straight into the round of 32 to face each other in a clear bracket.

However, every team would only have been assured two matches, not three. More importantly, the structure would have been vulnerable to manipulation. With three-team groups, only three fixtures could be played, and no two at the same time. That meant one team would always complete its games earlier, leaving the final fixture open to scenarios where both sides knew exactly what outcome would secure progress.

The risk of collusion across 16 groups proved too significant, and the plan was eventually dropped despite its more compact design.

The adopted system of 12 groups of four

Instead, the competition will use 12 sections of four, echoing the approach of earlier tournaments such as the 1986, 1990, and 1994 World Cups, or more recent 24-team European Championships.

The formula is straightforward: the top two from each group advance, and they are joined by the eight best third-placed nations to complete the last 32.

It is less tidy than the three-team plan, but it ensures fairness and avoids the controversies that might have arisen otherwise.

The expanded knockout rounds

Once the field has been reduced to 32, the knockout journey follows a familiar path. The difference is simply scale.

Group winners will mostly be paired against third-placed finishers, although four of them will meet runners-up. Meanwhile, the remaining runners-up will be matched against each other.

From there, the tournament progresses in the traditional order: round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final.

For the first time, the eventual champion will need to play eight matches rather than seven, adding one extra step on the road to lifting the trophy.