Fan dies at World Cup stadium in first game since reopening after fall when ‘he tried to jump between tiers’ before Mexico’s clash with Portugal

A football fan tragically died at the iconic Azteca Stadium on Saturday night after a significant fall ahead of Mexico’s friendly clash with Portugal. 

The ground, which is known as the Estadio Banorte for sponsorship reasons, was hosting its first game since extensive renovations took place in preparation for the World Cup.

However, the match was marred by a tragic incident when a man attempted to jump from the second level of VIP box seats to the first, as per Reuters. 

As he climbed the exterior the man fell all the way to the stadium’s car park on the ground floor. 

Medical personnel attended to him after the fall, but unfortunately he lost his life. 

Mexico City security officials later reported that the man ‘was in a state of intoxication’. 

In a statement posted on X, the Mexico City Public Prosecutor’s Office said: ‘Mexico City Public Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalia CDMX) deeply regrets the death of a person on Saturday, 28 March inside the Banorte Stadium, prior to the start of the Mexican national team’s friendly match.

‘From the outset, officials from the Attorney General’s Office, forensic experts and officers from the Investigative Police attended the scene to commence the necessary investigations. 

‘The area was cordoned off, the scene was secured, and evidence was collected by experts specialising in criminalistics, photography and forensic medicine.

‘Furthermore, analysis of CCTV footage from the stadium and its entrances is underway, as is the collection of statements from people who were at the scene, with the aim of accurately reconstructing the sequence of events and determining potential liability.

‘Similarly, the statutory post-mortem procedure is currently underway to establish with certainty the cause of death, as well as the physical condition of the individual at the time of the fall.

‘The Mexico City Public Prosecutor’s Office will continue its investigations thoroughly and will keep the public informed as relevant developments arise, in strict accordance with the principles of due process.’

The fan fell ahead of Mexico’s clash with Portugal when he tried to jump between tiers

Despite the tragic incident the friendly still went ahead and ended in a 0-0 draw.

In fact, it was widely reported that multiple fans and security officials were unaware what had happened until after the game. 

The match was a major moment for the stadium given it has undergone a multi-year renovation project ahead of the World Cup, with the Azteca one of three venues where games will be played in Mexico. 

It will host the tournament’s opening game between Mexico and South Africa, and is set to have five World Cup matches in total, including both a last-16 and last-32 encounter.  

Mexico’s clash with South Africa is a rerun of the opening match at the 2010 World Cup and it will make the Azteca the first stadium to ever host opening games at three different World Cups having previously done so in 1970 and 1986.