Mexico’s “second city” of Guadalajara, a traditional cradle of football, played a pivotal role in the build-up to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and then served as a colourful and enthusiastic Host City during the tournament’s group stage. Along the way, Guadalajara welcomed teams from five continental confederations across four tournament matches and hosted a FIFA World Cup™ game featuring Mexico for the first time.

On Friday 26 June, Guadalajara Stadium became the first of the record 16 FIFA World Cup 2026 venues to bid farewell to the competition as former champions Spain and Uruguay went toe-to-toe in their gripping Group H finale. The near-capacity crowd of 45,065 included Spain’s King Felipe VI, and La Roja’s 1-0 victory lifted the all-time number of FIFA World Cup matches played in Guadalajara to 21. Only Mexico City has staged more, and the two cities share the historic distinction of being the only ones to host the FIFA World Cup on three separate occasions.

Guadalajara emphatically embraced the FIFA World Cup 2026, as attendance at the sparkling, 16-year-old stadium in Zapopan averaged 45,233 across the four games, or an impressive 99.1% of the venue’s tournament capacity.

The city’s impact on the competition began back in March, as it hosted a pair of matches in the inter-confederation play-off that sent Congo DR to the finals for the first time in 52 years, when they qualified as Zaire. Then on 11 June, a few hours after Mexico and South Africa kicked off the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Mexico City Stadium, Guadalajara kept the opening day celebration going as Korea Republic sealed a come-from-behind, 2-1 win over Czechia with Oh Hyeon-gyu’s 80th-minute strike.

One week later, on 18 June, El Tri contested a FIFA World Cup game in Guadalajara for the first time. With their 1-0 triumph over Korea Republic, Mexico clinched top spot in Group A and became the first nation to book a place in the tournament’s round of 32.

Congo DR made a return trip to Guadalajara Stadium on 23 June to face Colombia. The outcome was not as kind for the African side this time, as Daniel Muñoz scored midway through the second half to lift the South Americans to a 1-0 win and a spot in the round of 32.

Although Guadalajara Stadium’s unforgettable chapter of the FIFA World Cup 2026 closed with Spain and Uruguay, the highlights and memories will linger while the party continues at the city’s popular FIFA Fan Festival™. The event at the Plaza de la Liberación will remain open, free of charge, until the tournament final on 19 July.

Guadalajara’s long FIFA World Cup history now includes three tournaments and three stadiums. In 1970, La Perla de Occidente hosted eight matches at the Estadio Jalisco, including Brazil’s semi-final triumph over Uruguay. Sixteen years later, both the Jalisco (six) and the Estadio Tres de Marzo (three) staged games during the 1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico™. A highlight was West Germany’s 2-0 defeat of France in the semi-finals.