Cruz Azul’s new stadium plans face potential delay until 2031 due to real estate hurdles, Estadio Azteca lease, says Victor Velázquez

Cruz Azul hopes to one day provide its fans with a stadium worthy of the club’s legacy. Since leaving Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes (formerly known as Estadio Azul) in 2018 - its home for 22 years - the club has bounced between venues. Following renovations at Estadio Azteca in preparation for the 2026 World Cup, La Máquina returned briefly to Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes before moving to Estadio Olímpico Universitario for the Clausura 2025.

Club officials recently unveiled plans for a new stadium, but the main obstacle is location. Suitable land in Mexico City for such a large-scale project is scarce. One potential site in the city’s southern region was rumored, but Claudia Sheinbaum, the local mayor, later dismissed the idea.

“We would have loved to have the space to host such an important team, but in this area, we don't have the infrastructure or the space,” she said.

While other potential locations remain under consideration, time is limited. Once Cruz Azul’s temporary lease at Estadio Olímpico Universitario - home of Pumas - expires, the team is expected to return to Estadio Azteca in January. The club is under contract there through mid-2031, and the venue will be rebranded as "Estadio Banorte."

For now, Cruz Azul remains without a true home of its own. Ironically, the Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes - where the club built so much of its identity - has been painted in blue and yellow to host Club América during the Azteca renovations.

In 2024, Cruz Azul officially unveiled plans for a new stadium to host its home matches. Club president Víctor Velázquez presented the ambitious project, which is expected to include commercial areas, hotels, restaurants, parking, public transit access, and more. Velázquez stated that the stadium is projected to cost between $300 million and $350 million and would take an estimated 30 to 36 months to complete.

"The project itself has already been worked on with a group of architects and companies specializing in stadium construction, and in fact, the budget has been approved, the stadium has been approved. What has delayed us is the land. We all know that Mexico City is very dense in terms of population, and it has been very difficult to find a plot that has the necessary services, permits, and especially the support of the community to build a project of this scale," Velázquez said in May 2024.

This week, it was revealed that Cruz Azul holds a lease agreement with Estadio Azteca through mid-2031 - meaning fans may have to wait at least five more years before watching their team in a stadium that truly feels like home.

Cruz Azul left Estadio Azul in 2018 after 22 years due to a failed attempt to renew its agreement with the stadium’s owners. Talks to extend the lease broke down in 2016. At the time, the owners had plans to demolish the stadium and replace it with a shopping center and hotel, but those plans were ultimately blocked by local authorities.

Some reports suggest that the owners were only interested in selling the property outright to the club, but Cruz Azul deemed the asking price unfair.

Cruz Azul face an important clash this Saturday when they host Pumas on Matchday 14 of the Clausura 2025. At Pumas’ request, the match will be played at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla. Since Pumas agreed to let Cruz Azul use their stadium as a home venue this season, they asked for the game to be moved out of respect for their fans - wanting to avoid the unusual situation of having their supporters in the stands of the opposing team while being listed as the away side.

Under Vicente Sánchez, Cruz Azul currently sit in sixth place with 25 points, and a win tonight would bring them closer to the top spots in the table as they aim to qualify for the final phase and fight for the title.