Offside Cup

The first match of this World Cup tournament will be held at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11: Mexico vs. South Africa. To step inside its towering walls is to walk through the echoes of football’s greatest ghosts.

It has been decades since the stadium last hosted a World Cup match. The legendary 1986 Final on June 29, where Argentina defeated West Germany 3–2. That afternoon, the world watched as a triumphant Diego Maradona was hoisted onto shoulders, lifting the trophy into the golden Mexican sunlight. As the tournament returns to this hallowed ground, the air feels thick with the memory of that era, reminding us that while the players change, the magic of the Azteca remains eternal.