World Cup 2026 stadium guides: Welcome to Monterrey and the stunning ‘Steel Giant’, a ground with gills – The Athletic
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This article is part of our World Cup Stadium Guides series, in which we look at the 16 venues that will host matches at the 2026 tournament.
If picturesque football stadiums are your thing, Estadio Monterrey is probably top of your bucket list.
With sweeping views of the northeastern Mexican city’s Cerro de la Silla — a mountain which forms part of the Sierra Madre Oriental — you will struggle to find a more impressive vista at this summer’s World Cup.
Located about 141 miles (227 kilometres) south of the United States border, Monterrey will host four games — three group-stage matches and a round of 32 game which is likely to feature the Netherlands. Its designers call it “the most advanced stadium in Latin America”.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What’s it known as normally and what will it be called for the World Cup?
It is usually known as the Estadio BBVA after the Spanish bank of the same name, which has sponsored the stadium since it first opened in 2015. That deal was recently renewed for a further five years until 2030.
The stadium is sometimes referred to as the ‘Gigante de Acero’ — ‘Steel Giant’ — because of its futuristic exterior, made from aluminium and rolled steel. The designers say the ground’s distinctive shape was inspired by brewing equipment, paying tribute to the city’s industrial heritage.
The outside of the Estadio BBVA is futuristic (Alfredo Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images)
For the purposes of the World Cup, it will be called Estadio Monterrey — perhaps confusingly, given the stadium is not actually located in Monterrey, but the neighbouring city of Guadalupe.
When was the stadium opened, how much did it cost and who plays there normally?
The Estadio BBVA is one of the most recently built stadiums at this World Cup, having opened 11 years ago as a new home for Liga MX side Monterrey, commonly called Rayados — the stripes, referring to the team’s blue and white shirts.
It cost around $200million (£148million at current exchange rates) to build and was funded by FEMSA, the Mexican multinational drinks company which has owned the club since 1999. The U.S.-founded firm Populous — responsible for sports grounds across the world including Wembley, Yankee Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — designed it with local architects VFO.
What are the most famous moments that have happened there?
The biggest football moments have been Clasicos Regiomontanos — referring to the mountainous region around Monterrey — between fierce rivals Rayados and Tigres, the city’s other major team.
Tigres lifted the Apertura championship title at Monterrey’s home ground in December 2017 with a 2-1 win on the night (3-2 on aggregate) in front of 51,384 fans. Rayados forward Aviles Hurtado missed a late penalty in that game which could have taken the tie to extra time and Tigres fans celebrated on the streets of the city.
Rayados got their revenge two years later in the CONCACAF Champions League final, beating Tigres 2-1 on aggregate after the second leg at their home ground. They lifted the Apertura title later that year against Club America following a 2-1 final first-leg win at their home ground, sealed with a bicycle kick from Rogelio Funes Mori — the twin brother of former Everton centre-back Ramiro Funes Mori. They claimed their second CONCACAF Champions League at the Estadio BBVA by beating Club America in 2021.
In recent years, the stadium has played host to several European stars signed by Rayados, including Sergio Ramos, former Real Madrid midfielder Sergio Canales and the ex-Manchester United forward Anthony Martial, who joined last summer.
In 2018, the stadium set a then-world record attendance for a women’s club football match, as 51,211 fans watched Rayadas, the women’s team, lose to Tigres on penalties in the Clausura final second leg.
Singers such as Shakira, Justin Bieber, Paul McCartney and this year’s Super Bowl act Bad Bunny have performed there.
Shakira performing at the stadium in 2025 (Medios y Media/Getty Images)
How many fans can the stadium hold? And will it be at maximum capacity for the World Cup?
The stadium holds 53,500. FIFA regulations mean a certain number of seats must be given up for broadcasters and VIP guests, but this is only expected to reduce capacity by around 800 seats.
What kind of pitch does it have? Has it had to change for the World Cup?
Monterrey has had a hybrid pitch consisting of natural grass reinforced with synthetic fibres for three years, but the World Cup has allowed the club to carry out further improvements.
A vacuum and ventilation system was installed underneath the pitch last year, which allows clubs to drain their grass of rain within 15 minutes and ventilate the turf by injecting oxygen at its roots. The latter is more useful in Monterrey, where temperatures can reach 104F (40C) in the summer.
That required the club to dig up the pitch, install the underground technology and relay the grass over 10 weeks last summer. They used a new Bermuda grass turf specially developed by FIFA in collaboration with Michigan State University and the University of Tennessee that withstands a high range of temperatures from winter to summer.
What are normal temperatures in June/July and will fans be sheltered at games?
In a word: hot.
Temperatures can reach highs of 93F (34C) in June, when all of Monterrey’s four World Cup games will take place, with an average of around 82F (28C).
The stadium has a distinctive cantilevered roof 55 metres above the seats which provides shade for supporters without cutting off ventilation on hot summer nights. The ‘gills’ built into the ground’s exterior help keep fans cool.
“The ‘gills’ are a key part of how the stadium stays naturally ventilated,” Christopher Lee, the global head of design at Populous who led the design of the stadium, tells The Athletic. “They’re essentially openings built into the aluminum facade, carefully positioned to catch prevailing breezes and guide fresh air into the seating bowl.
“Instead of sealing the stadium off, those openings work together with the open roof edge to create a continuous flow of air. Warm air is drawn up and out, while cooler air is pulled through occupied areas.”
Are they changing anything else for the World Cup?
Apart from the pitch, Monterrey have created an additional VIP area for FIFA officials and dignitaries in the stadium, with capacity for around 70 people.
The club have had to modify one of the stands to allow room for radio and TV broadcast teams during World Cup matches. FIFA branding regulations, meanwhile, mean Monterrey must cover up or remove around 2,000 commercial elements or logos around the stadium.
One casualty will almost certainly be Monty, the Rayados mascot based on a bulldog. He wears the club’s Puma shirt, while Adidas is the World Cup’s official kit supplier. Rayados are looking to use him in other promotional activities around the city.
How do I get there?
You can take the Linea 1 metro line from downtown Monterrey to Exposicion station, which takes around 25-30 minutes. From there, it’s a 20-minute walk to the stadium.
The picturesque surroundings of the stadium (Hector Vivas – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Alternatively, you can take a 35-minute taxi using a rideshare app — the host city committee has an agreement with Uber.
What can fans expect at the stadium?
That view, for a start.
“The relationship with Cerro de la Silla was one of the most important drivers in the design process,” says Lee. “Very early on, we began shaping the stadium so the mountain could become part of the matchday experience.”
The idea, the chief designer explains, was to have the mountain as a backdrop to the game in the stadium and on TV. “The orientation of the seating bowl and the way the roof drops down to the south were carefully considered to frame views of the mountain from the north stand,” Lee adds.
Fans can expect a vibrant atmosphere with steep seats right on top of the pitch. Rayados regularly host post-match parties in the bowels of the stadium during the Liga MX season known as El Tercer Tiempo (‘the third half’ in English), where a DJ plays to fans from both teams.
“We make friends very quickly here, you get involved and the people who visit this city are bound to feel that,” says Everardo Valdez, Monterrey’s director of institutional and media relations.
Is there anything else we should know about this stadium?
In September 2013, members of a Tigres ultras group claimed they had buried a black chicken underneath the still-under-construction Estadio BBVA to bring their rivals bad luck for 30 years.
The story was a hoax, but Monterrey have yet to win a league title at the stadium. When Monterrey replaced their turf last summer, their former goalkeeper Jonathan Orozco posted a picture on social media aimed at Tigres fans saying “no chickens and fresh grass”.
Which games are being played there?
June 14: Group F: Tunisia vs Sweden (8pm local time, 3am BST)
June 20: Group F: Tunisia vs Japan (10pm local time, 5am BST)
June 24: Group A: South Korea vs South Africa (7pm local time, 2am BST)
June 29: Round of 32: Group F Winner vs Group C Second Place (7pm local time, 2am BST)
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