FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - Mexico marks one year to go until the World Cup - Mexico City, Mexico - June 12, 2025 An aerial view of the renovation work on the Azteca Stadium or Banorte Stadium is part of a commercial agreement ahead of the 2026 World Cup, during which Azteca will host the opening match and become the first venue in the world to have hosted three World Cups, following 1970 and 1986. REUTERS/Henry Romero/File Photo
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Box and suite holders at Mexico City's Azteca stadium, also known as Estadio Banorte, will have free access to 2026 World Cup matches after they reached an agreement with FIFA, the stadium's owners said.
Under the terms of the long-standing contractual rights, box seat holders - whose 99-year clause was originally established to help fund the stadium's construction in 1966 - will be granted free access to all five matches, including the tournament opener.
"We are pleased to announce that box and suite owners will be able to access and use their boxes/suites at no cost during the five matches to be held at the stadium," Estadio Banorte press office said in a statement on Wednesday.
"To this end, the stadium has made a series of commitments and payments to FIFA."
Reuters has contacted FIFA for comment.
The stadium, which will have 90,000 seats after renovations, includes 12,500 individual box spaces. The move follows a legal dispute that began in 2024 amid concerns that owners might be barred from using their seats.
Mexico will host 13 World Cup matches in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara as the nation prepares for the global tournament.
However, box and suite holders will need to register via a dedicated website, with further details to be announced.
Last week, FIFA announced that dynamic pricing would be applied during the initial phase of ticket sales, with seat prices starting at $60 and varying based on market demand.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
