Fan dies in fall at Mexico City stadium reopening
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FILE PHOTO: A drone view of Azteca Stadium, officially renamed Banorte Stadium, as renovations continue ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, in Mexico City, Mexico, March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Diego Delgado/File Photo
MEXICO CITY, March 28 - A man died in Mexico City's newly renovated Estadio Banorte on Saturday after falling from a box seat area shortly before the stadium's reopening match, security officials said.
The accident occurred just as the venue, known as the Azteca Stadium, hosted a friendly between Mexico and Portugal. The match is intended to serve as a stress test for the facility after an around-the-clock construction push to meet Saturday's deadline.
The stadium, scheduled to hold the opening ceremony on June 11, is to be the first to host matches in three different World Cups.
Authorities said the man was intoxicated. He attempted to jump from the second-level box seats to the first level by climbing along the exterior of the structure before falling to the ground floor, they said. REUTERS
