Azteca to Reopen With Mexico Facing Ronaldo's Portugal in March Friendly

Azteca Stadium will reopen in March when Mexico hosts Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo in a friendly match ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the Mexican soccer federation confirmed Tuesday.

The iconic stadium, closed since May of last year for renovations, will host five World Cup matches, including the opener on June 11.

Azteca, recently renamed Banorte Stadium, will become the first venue in history to host a third World Cup opening match. Mexico, which staged the World Cup in 1970 and 1986, is co-hosting next summer's tournament with the United States and Canada.

The match against Portugal will take place on March 28. Mexico also announced a warmup game against Belgium to be played three days later at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Coach Javier Aguirre said after a 2-1 loss to Paraguay in November that he wanted to play two matches with players from the local league in Central America in January, but the Mexican federation has yet confirmed them.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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