Mexico Guide
Mexico City
Football
Fútbol (football, meaning soccer) is undoubtedly Mexico's most popular sport. The big games are held at the 114,000-seat Estadio Azteca, which hosted the World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986, and is home to América (Las Águilas, or The Eagles), the nation's most popular and consistently successful club side. Elsewhere in the city, the university side, UNAM (Las Pumas), have a strong following at the Estadio Olímpico across the road from the university; and Cruz Azul (known as Los Cementeros for their long-time sponsorship by a cement company) pack out Estadio Azul right by the city's main bullring (see "Insurgentes"). Mexico City's other major team, Atlante (Los Potros, "the Colts") shares the Estadio Azteca with América. There are usually at least two games every Sunday afternoon from January to June and August to November – check local papers for fixture details – and you can almost always get a ticket (M$75–400) at the gate. The exceptions are the big games such as major local derbies, and "El Clásico", when América host Chivas from Guadalajara, the biggest team from the country's second largest city. Estadio Azteca can be reached by Tren Ligero or Ruta #26 ("Xochimilco") colectivo, both from Metro Tasqueña; Estadio Olímpico is reached by "Tlalpan" bus from Metro Chilpancingo; Estadio Azul is reached on foot from Metro San Antonio or from Metrobús station Ciudad de los Desportes on Insurgentes.