STORY: A festive crowd returned to Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on Saturday (March 28) for its long-awaited reopening, with fans embracing the World Cup atmosphere despite tight security, protests across the capital and a fatal accident inside the stadium.

Supporters from across the country streamed into the revamped venue for the first time in nearly two years, many treating the Mexico-Portugal friendly as a first glimpse of what the 2026 World Cup could feel like.

“We’re really excited to see the stadium and start feeling that World Cup atmosphere,” said Mexican fan Mariluly Cuesta, adding that the experience had been “very well organised” despite the heavier security presence.

Road closures and a large security operation forced some fans to walk up to a kilometre to reach the gates, but many said the measures were expected for an event of this scale.

“We walked about a kilometre, but it felt very safe the whole way,” said Luis Camarena, a 40-year-old businessman who attended with his family. “We’re just happy to be here with the kids to watch the national team.”

While many had hoped to see Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, his absence did little to dampen the mood.

“We would have loved to see him, especially for the children, but we came for the spectacle,” Camarena added. “This way, everyone is fully behind Mexico.”

Elsewhere in the city, however, not everyone shared the celebratory mood. Anti-FIFA protesters staged a demonstration on a major highway, turning it into a makeshift football pitch to denounce what they called a “World Cup of dispossession” and highlight shortages of housing, water, transport and electricity.

Inside the stadium, the festive atmosphere was also overshadowed by a fatal incident shortly before kickoff, when a man died after falling from a box seat area, according to local authorities.

Mexico will co-host the 2026 World Cup with the United States and Canada, with the Azteca set to stage the opening match on June 11, when the hosts face South Africa.

Despite the contrasting scenes, many fans described the day as a successful first test event for the tournament.

Some teething problems emerged, with supporters pointing to confusion over entry points, largely linked to the stadium’s recent renovations, as well as the lack of parking as areas for improvement.

“Staff weren’t always clear about which gate to use, so we had to double back,” said Karime Gonzalez, an 18-year-old student. “If we didn’t have time, that could have been a problem.”

Still, a sense of collective anticipation prevailed.

“People are helping each other find their way — it feels like a rehearsal for the World Cup,” Gonzalez said.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (MARCH 28, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF FANS ARRIVING AT REFURBISHED ESTADIO AZTECA PAST CONSTRUCTIONS WORKS

2. FANS WALKING PAST

3. GROUP OF FANS IN MEXICO AND PORTUGAL JERSEY CHANTING "MEXICO" AND "PORTUGAL"

4. VARIOUS OF FANS ENTERING STADIUM

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) KARIME GONZALEZ, 18-YEAR-OLD STUDENT, SAYING:

"Well, it is a problem, isn’t it? Because it does reduce the efficiency of access; I mean, at the moment people are trying to work together and all that, but it could certainly be much more efficient, and it really could have been planned a long time in advance, given that parking is such a fundamental issue, especially in a city where traffic is one of the biggest problems."

6. VARIOUS OF FANS PASSING THROUGH SECURITY CHECKS

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) KARIME GONZALEZ, 18-YEAR-OLD STUDENT, SAYING:

"I think, more than anything else, people are helping each other find things and working together to make the access process more efficient. So I think there’s collaboration between the public and the staff, isn’t there? As a trial run for the World Cup."

8. EXTERIOR OF AZTECA WITH BRANDING OF MAIN SPONSOR BANORTE

9. WORLD CUP MASCOTS MAPLE (CANADIAN MOOSE), ZAYU (MEXICAN JAGUAR) AND CLUTCH (AMERICAN BALD EAGLE) INTERACTING WITH YOUNG FANS

10. WOMAN AND BOY IN MEXICO JERSEY TAKING A SELFIE IN FRONT OF STADIUM

11. MEXICO FAN DRESSED AS A 'CHARRO CATRIN' (Skeleton cowboy) PERFORMING IN FRONT OF STADIUM

12. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LUIS CAMARENA, 40-YEAR-OLD BUSINESSMAN, SAYING:

"Well, getting here was no problem. We walked about a kilometre, but it’s been very safe, and the ring road is flowing smoothly."

13. SECURITY PRESENCE OUTSIDE STADIUM

14. SCREEN WITH GRAPHIC PROMOTING MEXICO CITY AS A HOST CITY FOR THE 2026 WORLD CUP

15. GROUP OF FANS POSING FOR PHOTO OUTSIDE STADIUM

16. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LUIS CAMARENA, 40-YEAR-OLD BUSINESSMAN, SAYING:

"Yes, we came for the spectacle. We’d have loved to see Cristiano (Ronaldo), especially for the kids’ sake, but it’s going to be a real boost for the national team because it means we’ll all be fully behind. Otherwise, we might have been divided.

17. CAMARENA AND FAMILY CHANTING 'Mexico, Mexico"

18. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MARILULY CUESTA CAMARENA FROM PUEBLA, SAYING:

‘We're really excited to see the stadium and to get this World Cup buzz going. We're really happy, even though Cristiano (Ronaldo) stood us up. But we're still really happy."

19. VARIOUS OF FANS QUEUING TO ENTER STADIUM