Estadio Akron in Zapopan, part of the Guadalajara metropolitan area, will host four group-stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including
Mexico's crucial second match on 18 June. During the tournament it is called
Estadio Guadalajara, and it is the only one of the 16 venues that will not stage any knockout fixtures.
The stadium in brief
Opened on
30 July 2010 at a cost of roughly
US$200 million, the stadium was conceived by designer Jean-Marie Massaud with architecture firm Populous. Its striking form, a grass-covered exterior wrapping a red crater of seating beneath a white, cloud-like roof, evokes a volcano rising from the landscape. Capacity is about
48,000. It is the home of Liga MX powerhouse
C.D. Guadalajara (Chivas).
History
The Akron replaced the historic Estadio Jalisco as Chivas' home. It hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2011 Pan American Games and a celebrated 2010 friendly between Chivas and Manchester United marking Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez's transfer.
2026 FIFA World Cup matches
Four group-stage matches. Times are local (Mexico Central, UTC-6) with UTC in brackets:
- June 11 - South Korea vs Czech Republic (Group A) - 8:00 PM local (02:00 UTC (Jun 12))
- June 18 - Mexico vs South Korea (Group A) - 7:00 PM local (01:00 UTC (Jun 19))
- June 23 - Colombia vs DR Congo (Group K) - 8:00 PM local (02:00 UTC (Jun 24))
- June 26 - Uruguay vs Spain (Group H) - 6:00 PM local (00:00 UTC (Jun 27))