Guadalajara.- A little over a year for the 2026 World Cup, the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara is ready to be one of the venues of the tournament with an investment of more than 250 million pesos (more than 12.4 million dollars), the Omnilife-Chivas group, owner of the installation, reported.
The Mexican Omnilife-Chivas Group is committed to an integral renewal of the enclosure, so it is immersed in work in key areas such as lighting, sound, connectivity and grass.
“Some of these adjustments are equations that FIFA requested and most of them are of equations that we are doing ourselves,” he explained in an interview with Efe Amaury Vergara, president and general director of the group and owner of the Guadalajara sports club, better known as Chivas.
The Mexican businessman said that, although the Akron stadium was in good condition, his desire is that international and local visitors are surprised with a first level experience “at the height of any stage of the best leagues in the world.”
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Adaptations include the installation of a new latest generation LED lighting system, a renewed sound and a grass of the highest quality, adapted to FIFA standards.
In addition, he explained that high speed Wi-Fi has been implemented throughout the enclosure, making it the first stage in Mexico with total connectivity for fans, even in parking.
The fan’s experience
The Akron Stadium has integrated artificial intelligence (AI) and data analysis in the management of the Guadalajara Sports Club, one of the most important in Mexico, a strategy that already used in the administration of the team.
Vergara explained that they have developed “Machine Learning” tools to predict assistance to matches with great precision, while analyzing data with artificial intelligence.
For this, they analyze variables such as the rival, the date, the economic impact and the history of the confrontation, which allows them to improve security and even optimize the resources and services they offer as part of the experience of fans.
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“In the future, fans can order food and drink from their seat, buy official products just by scanning a QR code and even participating in interactive dynamics in real time,” said the manager.
Guadalajara and his World Cup legacy
Guadalajara has established itself as a key city in the history of the World Cups organized in Mexico. He headded in 1970 and 1986, and now, with the 2026 World Cup, he hopes to receive thousands of fans from all over the world.
“We know that in Mexico we have had three World Cups and most likely we do not touch us in our generation a World Cup in Mexico. So it is a great opportunity, a great window to show the world that we are much more than what people sometimes think of violence. We are a wonderful country, which we love football, we are the country that leads the worlds World Cups, ”said Vergara.
In addition, he argued that the strong cultural identity of Guadalajara, Cuna del Tequila and Mariachi, among various cultural and gastronomic offers, characterize the state of Jalisco.
With these improvements, the Akron stadium is positioned as a reference in innovation and modernization in Mexican football.
“They congratulated us on FIFA because we are the stadium (where) less requirements were built in Mexico. And I say it with great pride, we are the stadium that will invest more money. From our own pocket, ”he held when pointing out the other two World Cups: Mexico City and Monterrey.
With EFE information
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