Mexico’s Azteca Stadium ‘is set to host the first game of the 2026 World Cup’ – 30 years on from Diego Maradona’s iconic ‘Hand of God’ goal for Argentina vs. England
- Mexico is expected to raise the curtain on the 2026 World Cup tournament
- The iconic Azteca Stadium will apparently host the first World Cup match
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The 2026 World Cup is expected to start at the majestic Azteca Stadium in Mexico.
According to De TijdFIFA has decided that the iconic stadium will raise the curtain for the tournament to be played in Mexico, Canada and the United States.
The stadium, which seats more than 80,000 spectators, is etched in World Cup folklore as Argentinian legend Diego Maradona scored his infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England during the 1986 tournament.
Maradona jumped up to try to get the ball in front of England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and used his arm to guide the ball past him and into the net. Although it seemed clear that Maradona had handballed, the referees missed it and the goal stood.
After the match, Maradona said his goal was scored by ‘the hand of God’ and the nickname has stuck ever since.
The Azteca Stadium in Mexico will host the opening match of the 2026 World Cup
In 1986, the stadium was where Diego Maradona scored his iconic ‘Hand of God’ goal
It gave Argentina a 1-0 lead and they went on to win 2-1. Maradona’s second goal was a sensational solo strike in which he took the ball from his own half all the way to the England goal, where he put the ball around Shilton. and scored.
Argentina won that tournament with Maradona as the star of the competition and in 2026 Argentina will enter the tournament as defending champions.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean they will play the first game. Since 2006, the host country has initiated the tournament rather than the trophy holder.
That would mean Mexico would play the first match in 2026, but nothing would stop FIFA from changing the rules so Argentina would play first.
It is not yet known where the World Cup final will be held, but it is expected to take place in the United States at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, near New York, or the AT&T Stadium in Dallas. The date is set for July 19.
Mexico has three host cities for the tournament: Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.
Canada has two – Toronto and Vancouver – while the United States has 11: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle.
The tournament will also host 48 teams – 16 more than usual.