As millions of soccer fans plan trips to Mexico for next year’s FIFA World Cup, the country’s airports are preparing to make a good first impression. Host city airports are investing billions of pesos to modernize and upgrade their facilities, which will welcome up to 5 million World Cup travelers in 2026, according to FIFA estimates.
In addition to the opening match on June 11, Mexico will host 13 matches in the cities of Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.
The airports in these cities are expected to receive the largest number of visitors in Mexico during the five-week tournament. These airports include Mexico City International Airport (AICM) Guadalajara International Aiport (GDL) in Jalisco and Monterrey International Airport (MTY) in Nuevo León.
Here’s what each airport has done in terms of renovation ahead of the tournament, and the groups behind their management.
Mexico City International Airport
While Mexico City is also home to the Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA) and the nearby Toluca International Airport (AIT), Diego González, Vice President and Analyst at Moody’s Ratings, told news outlet Aviación 21 that these airports will not take away the AICM’s strategic role or help reduce its demand.
“This airport [AICM] will continue to be critical for serving the metropolitan area,” González said.
Since July this year, the AICM has been under the management of the state-owned Grupo Aeroportuario Marina, which manages several other airports in Mexico.
The director of AICM, Admiral Juan José Padilla Olmos, said that to keep up with the expected surge in travelers, the air terminal is investing more than 8 billion pesos (US $435 million) in modernization processes, including the expansion and rehabilitation of terminals, parking lots and air traffic regulation.
Guadalajara International Airport
According to Cryshtian Amador Lizardi, the chief administrator of GDL, the airport added a Hilton Hotel and a new runway ahead of the World Cup (the Hilton, located inside the airport, opened in March 2024). It expects the increase in passenger traffic to continue after the sporting event concludes and is preparing to continue with upgrades, with a planned investment of 22 billion pesos (US $1.1 billion) over the next five years.
Lizardi added that GDL, operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), also plans to build a new terminal and purchase land to develop a new runway in the near future.
Monterrey International Airport
Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte (OMA) operates MTY in the northern state of Nuevo León. Ahead of the World Cup, it has spent on facilities and infrastructure renovations and improved connectivity.
Forbes reported that during the 2021-2025 period, OMA has invested 15 billion pesos (US $815 million) in operational infrastructure, certifications, security and equipment, runways and platforms, operational and technological standardization, and complementary projects. The works also included the expansion and total renovation of Terminal A.
With reports from Aviación 21, Excélsior and Forbes
