A football fan has died after falling at the stadium which will host the 2026 World Cup opener, authorities have confirmed.
On Saturday, the Estadio Banorte, also known as Azteca Stadium, reopened to stage a friendly fixture between Mexico and Portugal.
The stadium has been newly renovated and the game served as a test ahead of opening ceremony and first World Cup game between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa on June 11.
But the game was overshadowed by a tragedy which saw a man fall to his death prior to kick-off. Reuters reported that the fan, who authorities say was, intoxicated, attempted to jump from a box seat area on the second level.
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He climbed around the exterior of the structure in an attempt to get to the first level but fell onto the car park and died.
A football fan tragically died moments before Mexico's friendly against Portugal at the Azteca Stadium on Saturday evening.
The stadium, which is due to host the opening game of the 2026 World Cup between Mexico and South Africa on June 11, was used for the first time since undergoing extensive renovations.
The game, which ended in a goalless draw, was marred by a tragic accident ahead of kick-off which saw a fan lose their life.
Per Reuters, a man, who was intoxicated, attempted to jump from the second-level box seats to the first level by climbing along the exterior of the structure. He fell onto the car park and was later confirmed to have died.
The Mexico City Public Prosecutor’s Office took to X to release a statement on the matter and said they "will continue the investigations thoroughly" and "keep the public informed as relevant developments are obtained".
“Mexico City Public Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalia CDMX) deeply regrets the death of a person on Saturday, 28 March inside the Banorte Stadium, prior to the start of the Mexican national team’s friendly match, the statement read, roughly translated."
“From the outset, officials from the Attorney General’s Office, forensic experts and officers from the Investigative Police attended the scene to commence the necessary investigations.
“The area was cordoned off, the scene was secured, and evidence was collected by experts specialising in criminalistics, photography and forensic medicine.
“Furthermore, analysis of CCTV footage from the stadium and its entrances is underway, as is the collection of statements from people who were at the scene, with the aim of accurately reconstructing the sequence of events and determining potential liability.
“Similarly, the statutory post-mortem procedure is currently underway to establish with certainty the cause of death, as well as the physical condition of the individual at the time of the fall.
“The Mexico City Public Prosecutor’s Office will continue its investigations thoroughly and will keep the public informed as relevant developments arise, in strict accordance with the principles of due process.”
The game went ahead, with both sides playing out a 0-0 draw in front of 84,130 fans. Mexico's next game sees them take on the Belgium in Chicago's Soldier Field on Wednesday.
El Tri will also face Ghana, Australia and Serbia in late May and early June before the curtain-raiser with South Africa.
In total the Azteca Stadium will stage a total of five games at the World Cup, including a round of 16 match.
Topics: FIFA World Cup
Josh Lawless