Mexico Create History, Become First Country to Host 3 FIFA World Cups
Mexico Create History, Become First Country to Host 3 FIFA World Cups Published By, Last Updated: June 11, 2026, 23:41 IST Mexico became the first
Mexico Create History, Become First Country to Host 3 FIFA World Cups Published By, Last Updated: June 11, 2026, 23:41 IST Mexico became the first country to host matches at three different FIFA World Cups, while Estadio Azteca became the first stadium to host matches in three separate editions. Rapid Read Mexico become first country to host three FIFA World Cups. (Picture Credit: AP) The 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup kicked off on Thursday (June 11) with a match between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa. The opening match of this year’s football showpiece is being played at Mexico City Stadium in Mexico City. Follow Mexico vs South Africa FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A match By hosting the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Mexico has entered the history books as the first country to host matches at three different editions of the tournament. The North American nation previously served as the host of the 1970 and 1986 FIFA World Cups.
While both those editions were held entirely in Mexico, the 2026 tournament is being co-hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Mexico will host a total of 13 matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup across three venues: Estadio Azteca (Mexico City Stadium; capacity: 80,824), Estadio BBVA (Estadio Monterrey; capacity: 51,243), and Estadio Akron (Estadio Guadalajara; capacity: 45,664). FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in Mexico DATE TEAMS VENUE June 11 Mexico vs South Africa Estadio Azteca, Mexico City June 11 South Korea vs Czech Republic Estadio Akron, Guadalajara June 14 Sweden vs Tunisia Estadio BBVA, Monterrey June 17 Uzbekistan vs Colombia Estadio Azteca, Mexico City June 18 Mexico vs South Korea Estadio Akron, Guadalajara June 20 Tunisia vs Japan Estadio BBVA, Monterrey June 23 DR Congo vs Colombia Estadio Akron, Guadalajara June 24 Czech Republic vs Mexico Estadio Azteca, Mexico City June 24 South Africa vs South Korea Estadio BBVA, Monterrey June 26 Uruguay vs Spain Estadio Akron, Guadalajara June 29 Round of 32 Estadio BBVA, Monterrey June 30 Round of 32 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City July 5 Round of 16 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City Among countries that have hosted multiple FIFA World Cups, Mexico is followed by Italy (1934, 1990), France (1938, 1998), Brazil (1950, 2014), and the United States (1994, 2026*).
The 1974 FIFA World Cup was held in West Germany, while reunified Germany hosted the 2006 edition of football’s premier international tournament. Countries to host multiple FIFA World Cups HOST COUNTRY EDITIONS Mexico 1970, 1986, 2026* (co-host) Italy 1934, 1990 France 1938, 1998 Brazil 1950, 2014 USA 1994, 2026* (co-host) West Germany/Germany 1974, 2006 By staging the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Estadio Azteca in Mexico City has also etched its name into the record books, becoming the first stadium in history to host matches at three different FIFA World Cup editions. The iconic venue previously hosted matches during the 1970 and 1986 tournaments, including the finals of both editions. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Harshit Bisht Senior Sub-editor Harshit Bisht is a sports journalist with CNN-News18 since July 1, 2024, and covers cricket with a sharp eye for records, trends, and match analysis.
Based in Noida, he has reported extensively on the... Read More First Published: June 11, 2026, 23:41 IST News sports football Mexico Create History, Become First Country to Host 3 FIFA World Cups Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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