History and description

The stadium was originally built for American football, but soon after it opened in 1947, Club America moved in and used it until 1955. The stadium has hosted a number of football matches over the years, including games between Atlante and Necaxa in the 1950s, as well as matches between Atlante and Atlético México in the 1990s. It was originally called Estadio Azulgrana after the club's colours, but was renamed Estadio Azul after Atlante left the stadium in 2002.

Most of these clubs switched between Estadio Azul and Estadio Azteca in 1996, with Cruz Azul making the move to the Estadio Azul.

The stadium has remained largely unchanged since it was built in 1955. Several minor renovations have been made to Estadio Azul over the years, however no major changes have been made. The stadium has remained largely unchanged since it was built in 1955.

In 2018, Cruz Azul moved out of Estadio Azul and into Estadio Azteca. Estadio Azul was supposed to be torn down and replaced by a shopping mall, but this has yet to happen. Cruz Azul, who are looking to build a new stadium, have thus far shown little interest in returning to their old ground.

How to get to Estadio Azul

Azul Stadium is located in the southwest corner of Mexico City, close to the city center and within walking distance of popular nightlife areas Condesa and Coyoacan. The stadium is located one block off of Avenida Insurgentes, one of the city's principal avenues.

The closest metro station is San Antonio, which is a ten-minute walk away from the stadium. The San Antonio metro station is on the orange line, which runs in the west of the city and can be reached via a transfer at Tacubaya station further north. Both lines 1 (pink) and 9 (brown) connect with line 7 at Tacubaya.

The stadium can be reached by taking the red buses of the modern metrobus system. Line 1 runs all the way down Avenida Insurgentes and can be boarded in popular areas such as the Zona Rosa and Condesa. Take the bus in southern direction and get off at stop Ciudad de los Deportes. It is only a few minutes walking from there.

Address: Indiana 260, Delegación Benito Juárez, México D.F.

Eat, drink, and sleep near Estadio Azul

Azul Stadium is located on Insurgentes Avenue, just off of a rather affluent area. There are many restaurants and bars located on Insurgentes, as well as some chain restaurants and fast food joints. This ensures that fans have plenty of options before or after the game. There are two hotels located within a few blocks of the stadium. Hotel Diplomatico is moderately priced and gets good reviews. Hotel El Greco is cheaper, but also gets slightly worse reviews. There are a few more hotels further north along Insurgentes near the World Trade Center, most a little or much more expensive.

There are many more hotels north along Insurgentes, in particular around Reforma Avenue and the Zona Rosa nightlife area. From here, getting to the stadium with the metrobus is also very quick and easy.

Relevant Internet links

The official website of the Mexico City tourism agency is mexicocity.gob.mx. The website of the Metrobus transportation system is metrobus.df.gob.mx, and the website of the Mexico City metro is metro.df.gob.mx There are quite a few good fast food restaurants (tacos etc.) around the stadium to have a bite after the match and wait until the crowds have died down. Alternatively, there are also plenty of more upscale food options at Insurgentes Avenue.

Match visited: Cruz Azul 1-1 Pumas de la UNAM Date visited: 18 February 2012

The game was close throughout, with both teams creating many chances. In the end, it was Cruz Azul who emerged victorious, completing a very enjoyable three-game tour of Mexico.

We arrived at the city by bus, but for someone less familiar with the city it may be more convenient to either use the metro or the metrobus.

The cheapest tickets had already been sold out so we settled for a pair of MXN 270.00. Our seats were excellent placed though, high in one of the corners with good views (Cruz Azul has fixed seat numbers). Mind that it's not allowed to bring a belt into the stadium (or in certain sections).

The stadium was definitely fuller than at a regular Cruz Azul match (at times the stadium can stay rather empty). I would say it was probably about 80% to 90% full.

Apart from the visiting fans, there were also a lot of Pumas fans mixed up with the Cruz Azul fans, often groups of friends made up of fans of both teams, or even mixed couples. The atmosphere stayed very friendly throughout the game. The match wasn't of high quality, but the atmosphere was good, with both sets of fans chanting along.

In the first few rows of the stands there are also vendors selling hot dogs and popcorn. One can buy drinks and various types of food from the food vendors walking up and down the stands at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca. A large beer (two bottles poured into a paper cup) costs MXN 60.00. In the first few rows of the stands, there are also food vendors selling hot dogs and popcorn.

After the match it was very easy to leave the stadium. There are many good fast food restaurants near the stadium (tacos etc.) to have a bite after the match and wait until the crowds have dispersed. Alternatively, there are also plenty of more upscale food options at Insurgentes Avenue.