Azteca Stadium rejig break-the-bank affair?

Article posted by Coliseum, March 4^th, 2025

Image: Estadio Azteca, ProtoplasmaKid, CC BY-SA 4.0

For the Mexican company Ollamani Group a clear picture has still not emerged as regards how much it will finally cost to remodel the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico, which is being totally overhauled to host the 2026 FIFA soccer showcase fixtures. The arena will host five matches of the 2026 World Cup.

‘bloomberglinea.com’ stated that the final price tag for redecorating the stadium could reach circa $75 million. However, Emilio Azcárraga Jean, General Director and President of the Board of Directors of Ollamani, said that due to few financial details which still need to be worked out a final figure cannot be spelt out as of now.

A spokesman for Ollamani informed that the entire remodeling work will require significant capital investment and could affect the operation of the facility which translates to the fact that it may incur debt “from time to time” to complete the work.

Jean, however, reassured that so far there has been no hindrance in the repurposing of the facility and “we are on schedule to reach completion”.

Ollamani was officially formed on January 31^st, 2024 and recently marked the one-year anniversary of its listing on the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV).

Jean, who participated in an event at the Mexican Stock Exchange for the first anniversary of Ollamani as a publicly traded company, stated, “The amount is variable right now because we are still providing finishing touches to the stadium revamp like seating, internal infrastructure, etc. When we have the final figure we will make it public.”

Just a year is left for the 2026 World Cup to begin and the Azteca Stadium will be hosting the opening match of the soccer extravaganza. The top official informed that renovation work of the stadium is on track.

Mexico City (Mexico)-based the Ollamani Group is a Mexican company primarily focused on sports and entertainment ventures most notably owning the professional soccer team Club América and operating the iconic Azteca Stadium both stemming from a spin-off from the larger media conglomerate Grupo Televisa. Essentially, it’s a company centered on the business of professional soccer in Mexico with a prominent stadium asset.

The Azteca Stadium is a football stadium located in Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico. It is the official home of the Liga MX (the top tier of Mexican football) team Club América as well as the Mexico national team. The stadium sits at an altitude of 2,200 m (7,200 feet) above the sea level. With a capacity of 87,523 it is the largest stadium in Latin America and the sixth-largest association football stadium in the world.

The Azteca Stadium is undergoing massive renovations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup™, marketed as FIFA World Cup 26™, will be the 23^rd FIFA World Cup™, the quadrennial international men’s soccer championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament will take place from June 11^th-July 19^th, 2026. It will be jointly hosted by 16 Cities in three North American countries. The majority of matches will take place in the United States while Canada and Mexico will host selected matches. The tournament will be the first to be hosted by three nations and the first North American World Cup since 1994.

‘bloomberglinea.com’ further stated that till the end of 2024 the Ollamani Group has already invested MX$472.9 million in the remodeling of the venue and has MXN$1,038 million pending to be spent for the commitments made until December 31^st, 2024 which will have to be recorded in properties and equipment in 2025 and/or 2026, the company’s fourth quarter financial report stated.

Jean also informed that they are working on reaching agreements with the owners of the Boxes at the Azteca Stadium who have requested that their right to use the Boxes during the sporting events be respected.

He also announced that Club América has reached a long-term sponsorship deal with the German sportswear company Adidas and the same will begin on July 1^st, 2025 after several years of association with the American footwear company Nike.

The return of Adidas to Club América after 25 years since its last collaboration was highlighted. Adidas will design and distribute exclusive products for ‘The Eagles’ available for fans starting July of this year.

The renovation of Azteca Stadium focuses on internal infrastructure and finishes. Plans for a real estate development skirting the stadium were dropped. The rejig work is expected to be completed by November or December 2025.

Jean mentioned that the above Adidas deal is a significant step towards strengthening the relationship with the fans and providing them access to high-quality merchandise.

The remodeling of the Azteca Stadium continues to advance to meet international standards required for the 2026 World Cup thus consolidating its position as one of the most majestic venues in Mexico and the world.

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