Football fan dies at World Cup 2026 stadium after tragic fall from VIP box

A football enthusiast tragically lost his life at the Estadio Banorte on Saturday, after plummeting from a box seat ahead of a World Cup warm-up friendly. Mexico is set to co-host this summer's tournament alongside the United States and Canada.

Following a series of refurbishments, the Estadio Banorte reopened this weekend to stage a match between Mexico and Portugal. However, the grand comeback at the iconic stadium was marred by tragedy.

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According to Reuters, a man fell from the second tier of VIP box seats after attempting to descend to the first level by scaling the exterior of the structure. Officials assert that the individual was inebriated, and sadly fell to the ground floor during his manoeuvre.

A statement issued on social media read: "Mexico City Public Prosecutor's Office (Fiscalía CDMX) deeply regrets the death of a person on Saturday, 28 March inside the Banorte Stadium, prior to the commencement 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 initiate the necessary investigations.

"The area was cordoned off, the scene was secured, and evidence was gathered 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."

This comes as the Estadio Banorte is scheduled to stage a World Cup opening ceremony on June 11, when Mexico welcome South Africa in the tournament's curtain raiser. The ground will also become the first venue to stage matches across three separate World Cups.

Beyond the match on June 11, the stadium will also stage group phase encounters between Uzbekistan and Colombia, Mexico and either the Czech Republic or Denmark, a round of 32 tie and another in the last 16.

Saturday's fixture between Mexico and Portugal proceeded as scheduled despite the incident, with both nations playing out a goalless stalemate.