Football fan dies at reopening of Azteca Stadium

A football fan has died inside Mexico City’s Estadio Banorte — a World Cup venue — after falling from a VIP seating area shortly before the start of the friendly match between Mexico and Portugal.

The tragic incident happened on Saturday evening at the extensively renovated Estadio Banorte, also known as the Azteca Stadium, on the same day as the deadline to declare its readiness for the World Cup.

The tragedy has casts a shadow over the stadium’s reopening and raises questions about safety as the countdown begins to highly anticipated global sports event.

Authorities in Mexico said the man was intoxicated and attempted to jump from the second tier of the stands to the first tier by climbing the stadium’s external structure, before losing his balance and falling to the ground, Reuters reported. Sadly, he died at the scene.

In a statement on X, the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office, said:

According to initial reports, the incident took place in the suite area of the venue, from where the person fell to the parking area, resulting in their death.

The Mexico City Prosecutor’s Office will continue the investigations thoroughly and will keep the public informed as relevant developments are obtained.

The incident comes as the stadium prepares to host the World Cup opening ceremony on 11 June when it will make history as the first stadium to host matches in three different editions of the World Cup.

Featured image via Estadio Banorte