Azteca box holders keep rights to World Cup 2026 matches after battle with FIFA

 

After months of wrangling, threats of legal action, and plenty of boardroom posturing, Azteca Stadium’s luxury suite owners have finally had their rights restored for the 2026 World Cup.

Felix Aguirre, managing director of Estadio Banorte (indelibly known to the football world as the Azteca), confirmed that negotiations with FIFA are complete and box holders will have access to their seats without paying a cent more. “It has been a long process; we appreciate the patience of those involved. We thank FIFA and the ticket holders,” Aguirre told local media, sounding more relieved than triumphant.

The dispute boiled over when suite holders feared they would be priced out of their own boxes during the World Cup.

Some filed complaints with consumer authorities, while others lined up lawyers. FIFA, for its part, valued each seat at the stadium’s top ticket price, effectively telling owners: pay up or miss out. In the end, the stadium caved, footing the bill to keep its corporate elite onside.

Behind the headlines lies the truth that FIFA’s most lucrative battleground is no longer the turnstiles, but hospitality. In Qatar 2022, premium boxes and VIP experiences generated more than $240 million. For 2026, spread across the vast markets of the US, Mexico, and Canada, those numbers are expected to soar. Six-figure sums for a single matchday suite? In FIFA’s world, that’s par for the course.

Azteca, hosting five games and becoming the first stadium to feature in three different World Cups, now stands ready to welcome its wealthiest patrons. But this saga is a stark reminder of the game’s shifting economics. The World Cup may sell itself as belonging to the people, yet the biggest cheques and the fiercest battles are increasingly fought in football’s most exclusive boxes.