The Athletic has live coverage of Colombia vs DR Congo at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Watchers of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) may recognise something familiar if they tune into the World Cup.
The University of Georgia’s famous hedge has been part of the fabric of Sanford Stadium for almost 100 years — but now, Guadalajara’s Estadio Akron is challenging that shrub’s sporting supremacy, its field lined with lush dark green leaves, the colour of Mexico’s jersey.
Unique among stadiums in North America this summer — their presence begs immediate questions. Why are they there? How old are they? Has anyone ever got stuck inside?
Don’t worry, The Athletic was there to investigate… and it found a little more wildness than it bargained for.
Just over 24 hours from kick-off between Colombia and DR Congo, Ainara Zatarain Ripoll, the stadium’s director of operations, is rushing between final preparations. She laughs when she hears the question.
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“No one has ever asked me about that,” she says. She sits down on the top row of the stadium’s lower-tier to explain further — and even offers to provide a close-up tour of the hedge itself.
“So, the thing you have to know about our stadium is that it borders the biggest forest in our state,” Ripoll explains, motioning over her left shoulder. “It’s called La Primavera, or the Spring Forest.
“And so one thing we’ve always wanted to do is bring the nature of the forest to our stadium. That can be through environmental schemes, or, in this case, where we wanted a secure perimeter for the pitch — but we didn’t want it like a fence that looked ugly.
“So we thought to have these bushes around, so that people in the first row will think twice before leaping on.”
Ainara Zatarain Ripoll, Estadio Akron’s director of operations (Jacob Whitehead/The Athletic)
The Estadio Akron’s hedge looks banal and suburban, the sort of landscaping found around the clubhouse of upmarket golf courses. Among Chivas’ passionate fans, known as some of the most intense in Mexico, did they not need a spikier shrub, maybe one with thorns?
“No, no, no,” she laughs. “Just a normal one is fine for us. In the 16 years since we opened the stadium, we’ve never had someone jump onto the pitch over the hedge. Two or three times, people have charged the gates (whose stairs lead through the hedge to pitchside) but they’ve never made it through the hedge. So it’s both beautiful — though it’s a shame it doesn’t flower — and secure.”
This is a hardy perennial — and an impressive record. UGA’s Sanford Stadium was stormed once, in 2000, while copycat hedges at South Carolina’s Williams-Brice were totally destroyed due to a mass pitch invasion in November 2024.
Clearly proud of her hedge, Ripoll adds that it is watered with rainfall collected from the roof, which is processed via a treatment plant deep inside the stadium. That water is then used for anything which does not require direct human contact; for example, flushing toilets and powering the stadium’s sprinklers.
As we speak, a dozen or so great-tailed grackles peck around the pitch. There is a legend in Mexico that these talkative birds have seven songs; there is a decent chance that they learned them from the Chivas supporters’ chants. With several flying into the hedge and back out, is the greenery also a home?
“They don’t nest directly in the hedge,” Ripoll replies. “But we do find nests in the suites and in the central columns — we need to check for them before every season. But you know, because of our proximity to the forest, we have a lot of birds and other animals.
“Today, for example, we found a tlacuache (Mexican mouse opossum), it was in the bathroom. They’re local, but they aren’t that common — they usually live high up in the trees.”
The hedges have attracted local wildlife into the stadium (Jacob Whitehead/The Athletic)
Maybe it wanted tickets to the match? “Well, yes, and not just him,” she replies. “We have a lot of snakes too, particularly rattlesnakes. It’s pretty fun, well, not too much fun, that we’re thinking about doing some work or something, and then there’s a snake around you. But it’s part of the stadium looking fresh.”
Another notable feature of the Estadio Akron is its conical grass slopes, designed to mimic the nearby volcano. According to Ripoll, it can only be mowed by gardeners using climbing ropes, hooked up to the roof of the stadium.
“You know, when Chivas first built this stadium, it was constructed with one day hosting a World Cup in mind,” she says. “So we were already in compliance with lots of things that FIFA were wanting — and if we weren’t, we renovated it or built it. The sound of the stadium, the floodlights, the benches, the wi-fi.
“There have been challenges, because FIFA want more than 41 functional areas. That’s over double the amount we would usually have — and for each of those, we need to undress the signage, speak to the old sponsor, speak to the new sponsor. It’s a challenge.”
But Ripoll’s stadium has been repaid with a bumper selection of group stage games — including Spain vs Uruguay and Mexico’s 1-0 win over South Korea — ensuring that, as the world watches, their eyes will be drawn to the Estadio Akron’s perfectly trimmed hedge.
