Fan Guide to Mexico City, Mexico

Make the most of your match week in Mexico City: see more, stress less.

Introduction

Mexico City for World Cup 2026 Visitors

Mexico City is a big-city playground between fixtures: a capital of art, history and street life where you can walk centuries in an afternoon and still be back in time for kickoff. Base yourself around the Historic Center, Roma–Condesa, or Polanco and you’ll have easy access to museums, leafy parks and food markets—plus straightforward transit to Estadio Azteca on match days. Orientation is simple: the Zócalo anchors the historic core; Bosque de Chapultepec (a mega-park with top museums) spreads west; Coyoacán’s plazas sit south; and Xochimilco’s canals are farther south near the stadium corridor. Official neighborhood walking guides make stitching days together painless, and city transit (Metro, Metrobús and the southern Light Rail) connects most fan hotspots. Expect warm days, cool nights, and afternoon showers—it’s rainy season—so pack a light shell and comfortable shoes.

Fast Facts

Population (city/entidad): 9,209,944
Time zone: Central Standard Time (UTC−6)
Airports: Mexico City International—Benito Juárez (MEX); Felipe Ángeles International (NLU); Toluca International (TLC).
Currency: Mexican peso (MXN).
Power & voltage: 127 V / 60 Hz electrical system per Mexican standard NOM-001-SEDE.
Weather snapshot (June–July): Rainy season with warm days and cool nights at high elevation (2,240 m); expect frequent afternoon showers.
Language: Spanish
Drinking age: 18

The Pitch

Estadio Azteca

Estadio Azteca (official tournament name: Estadio Azteca Mexico City) is the World Cup-opening venue and one of football’s true cathedrals. It sits in southern Mexico City (Coyoacán borough) at Calz. de Tlalpan 3465. The bowl is open-air with an overhanging ring canopy (“techo volado”) and a natural-grass playing surface; the stadium lists a current capacity of 83,264, with the final tournament configuration to be confirmed by FIFA following renovations. Primary access is via the city’s rail network: take Metro Line 2 to Tasqueña and transfer to the Tren Ligero for Estadio Azteca station right at the ground.

Stadium Basics

Location: Calz. de Tlalpan 3465, Sta. Úrsula Coapa, Coyoacán, Mexico City.
Surface: Natural grass.
Getting there: Metro Line 2 to Tasqueña, transfer to Tren Ligero; exit at Estadio Azteca station next to the stadium.
Bag policy & payments: Stadium lists prohibited items and references an approved bag policy; no stadium-wide “clear bag” dimensions or cashless-only policy are published—arrive light and follow on-site guidance.

Full stadium details

Match dates in Mexico City

Thursday, June 11, 2026 — Opening Match
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 — Group Stage
Wednesday, June 24, 2026 — Group Stage
Thursday, July 2, 2026 — Round of 32
Monday, July 6, 2026 — Round of 16

Inside Mexico City

Districts & Vibes

Use the city’s official walking-neighborhoods to build easy fan days. Pair Centro Histórico (Zócalo, Templo Mayor, Bellas Artes) with Alameda and a sunset rooftop, or blend Roma–Condesa’s cafés and parks with a quick Metro hop to Polanco for museums and shopping.

On stadium days, stitch a southern circuit: brunch in Coyoacán’s plazas, then continue to Xochimilco for a short canal float before heading toward Santa Úrsula/Coapa for Estadio Azteca. Each district has distinct rhythm—colonial squares in Coyoacán, canals and chinampas in Xochimilco, and residential streets around the stadium—so plan your time blocks and transit legs accordingly.

Global Eats, Local Pours

Mexico City’s Food & Drink Hit List

For daytime grazing, work the city’s market culture and food corridors: wander the Centro’s historic streets for traditional sweets and snacks, then ride west to Chapultepec edges or south to Coyoacán for stalls, cafés and plaza patios. Roma–Condesa is patio central—tree-lined avenues, bakeries and mezcalerías that make for relaxed pre-match afternoons.

After dark, Polanco’s upscale strips deliver polished dining rooms, while the Centro’s Plaza Garibaldi area is pure atmosphere with mariachi performances late into the night (go for the music and scene, not just the drinks). Across Roma–Condesa and Zona Rosa you’ll find dense bar clusters and late-night eateries that stay lively on match weeks.

Iconic Mexico City

Must-Sees Between Matches

Start in the Historic Center: stand in the Zócalo and step into the past at the Templo Mayor archaeological site and museum, then swing by the Palacio de Bellas Artes and the restored Alameda Central. These headline sights sit within easy blocks of one another and are well covered by official walking-neighborhood notes that help you thread plazas, murals and museums in a compact loop.

West of the core, Bosque de Chapultepec is a day in itself—lakes, shady paths, and heavyweight museums. The National Museum of Anthropology (INAH) is the must, and the hilltop Castillo de Chapultepec (National History Museum) brings panoramic views. When you’re ready for color and cobblestones, head south to Coyoacán for plazas and the Frida Kahlo Museum; farther south, the UNESCO-listed canals of Xochimilco offer classic trajinera boat rides.

Discover Mexico City Through

Local Experiences & Tours

Hop-on/hop-off circuits cover the big picture with multilingual audio guides and easy “off at museums, back on at the curb” logistics—handy when you’re balancing sightseeing with ticketed fixtures. Look for the official Turibús city routes spanning Centro, Sur, Polanco and Basílica.

South of the core, Estadio Azteca itself offers guided stadium tours on select non-event days—locker rooms, pitch-side, and the marathon tunnel—ideal for football fans between matches. For self-guided culture, the city’s neighborhood walking pages map themed strolls through architecture, murals and plazas; many major museums also offer structured visits or audio support on site.

Keep the Party Going

Fan-Friendly Nightlife

For big, informal meet-ups, the historic core and Reforma corridor concentrate plazas, rooftops and late-night options; the city’s cultural authority programs regular happenings across the Centro that keep streets animated on weekends. Expect lively clusters (and easier Metro access) around Bellas Artes, the Alameda edges and near the Zócalo.

Roma–Condesa and Zona Rosa are your bar-dense districts: patios, mezcal bars and craft-leaning spots within short walks of each other—good for casual fan groups before early kickoffs. In the south, nightlife thins near the stadium; plan pre-game in Coyoacán or Roma and ride transit down for the match.