Estadio Azteca is the official home stadium of the Mexican national football team and the Mexican team “Club América”. The stadium was the venue for football in the 1968 Summer Olympics and, interestingly, it is the only stadium in the world to have hosted two FIFA World Cup Finals. Besides sport events the stadium also hosts big concerts of international stars.
With a capacity of 105,064 Estadio Azteca is the third-largest stadium in the American continent, fifth-largest in the world and the largest football-specific stadium in the world. The name “Azteca” is a tribute to the Aztec heritage of Mexico City.
The stadium was erected in 1966 at the cost of MXN$ 260 million and after five years of construction. It was the site where Pelé and Diego Maradona (during the 1970 and 1986 FIFA World Cup) lifted the trophy for the last time. Since its opening the stadium has hosted international club tournaments and big musical performances.
In the 1970 World Cup final Brazil defeated Italy 4–1 and in the 1986 World Cup final Argentina defeated West Germany 3–2 at the Azteca stadium. The venue also hosted the “Game of the Century”, when Italy defeated West Germany 4–3 in extra time in one of the 1970 semi-finals. The stadium has also been used for political events, including Mexican president Felipe Calderón’s campaign closure in 2006, as well as religious events, like the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1999.
Estadio Azteca has hosted a variety of international sporting competitions, including 1968 Summer Olympics, 1970 FIFA World Cup, 1975 Pan American Games, 1986 FIFA World Cup, or 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup. The musical events at the stadium have included concerts of such stars as Michael Jackson or Lenny Kravitz, among others.
It was at Estadio Azteca that the 1986 quarter-final between Argentina and England was played, in which Diego Maradona scored both the “Hand of God goal” and the “Goal of the Century”.