What was supposed to be a historic night for Mexico City (CDMX) with the inauguration of the Azteca—now renamed Banorte Stadium—turned into a chaotic, tense, and alarming start. The reopening of the old Azteca Stadium, with the match between Mexico and Portugal, was hit by blockades, demonstrations, transportation problems, forced business closures, arrests for ticket reselling, and the tragic death of a fan after a fall. Just hours before the match, the atmosphere was not that of a perfect football festival, but of a city collapsed around the most symbolic venue in Mexican football. According to fan reports, buses leaving from the National Auditorium to Banorte Stadium were moving slowly with reduced service: “only three units were scheduled,” was reported in one post, while another pointed out that there were few buses in circulation. The situation worsened with another report stating that buses were not arriving at Six Flags, presumably because they were held by protesters. It was even claimed that the protesters attacked the trucks with eggs, a scene that further heightened the tension before the match.
Inaugural Tragedy What will go down in history is the unfortunate incident in which a fan lost his life. The Citizen Security Secretariat (SSC) reported that in the box area of Mexico City Stadium, a young man under the influence of alcohol attempted to descend from the second to the first level. According to information released by the SSC, the fan, presumably under the effects of alcohol, tried to descend between levels on the outside of the structure in the box area. It was during this attempt that he fell to the ground floor, and although he received immediate medical attention, authorities confirmed he died as a result of the fall. The SSC emphasized that due to this incident, the corresponding authorities were notified, although the information is still under development and no further details about the victim's identity or possible additional reviews in the area have been released. It was only unofficially said that the young man was about 27 years old.
Rejection of Gentrification Previously, the pressure in the area was not only related to the match, as according to reports shared on social networks, protesters closed the central lanes of Periférico Sur at the height of ENAH, preventing the circulation of vehicles heading to the stadium. Among the slogans that stood out in the protest were demands for dignified housing and slogans against gentrification, which turned the sports pre-game into a scenario crossed by social discontent.
To this was added an alert to motorists and fans about disruptions on several key arteries in the south of the capital. Among the roads mentioned as complicated were Tlalpan, Periférico, Avenida Santa Úrsula, and the surroundings of Gran Sur, right in the perimeter that usually absorbs the flow of thousands of people when there are massive events at the stadium.
Business Closures If the traffic chaos was not enough, another source of annoyance also arose around the match. According to testimonies, informal vendors located on Calzada de Tlalpan and Luis Murillo began to close their stalls after they said the Mexico City government instructed them they could no longer sell. It was mentioned that nearly 30 vendors covered their businesses with fabrics just when they were expecting to take advantage of the influx for the match. The vendors' complaint was that “all afternoon and night we are not going to be able to earn anything,” despite it being a high-impact match where thousands of fans usually represent an economic opportunity.
Ticket Reselling Could Not Be Missing In the middle of the disorder, the Citizen Security Secretariat reported that as part of the “Safe Stadium Operation,” three men aged 47, 53, and 58 were detained in the vicinity of the so-called Banorte Stadium on Viaducto Tlalpan for allegedly promoting ticket reselling. The SSC detailed that the detainees were presented before the Civic Judge, who will define the corresponding sanction; however, the issue is that before the match reigned disorganization, pressure on the streets, and a climate of conflict in an event that was supposed to symbolize relaunching, modernity, and international celebration.
