Fan Dies in Fall at Mexico City Stadium Reopening

March 29, 2026Updated: March 29, 2026

MEXICO ‌CITY—A ‌man died in Mexico City’s newly renovated ‌Estadio Banorte on Saturday ⁠after falling from a box seat area shortly before the ​stadium’s reopening match, security officials said.

The ⁠accident occurred just as the venue, known as the Azteca Stadium, hosted a friendly between Mexico and Portugal. The match ‌is ⁠intended to serve as a stress test ‌for the facility after an around-the-clock construction push to ​meet Saturday’s deadline.

The stadium, scheduled ​to hold the opening ceremony ​on June 11, is to be the first ⁠to host matches in three different World Cups.

Authorities said the man was intoxicated. ​He attempted to ⁠jump from the second-level box seats ​to the ​first ‌level by climbing along the exterior of the structure before ‌falling to the ground floor, they ⁠said.

By Natalia Siniawski and Janina Nuno ​Rios