Portugal, Mexico, draw 0-0 as Azteca Stadium reopens

Mexico and Portugal played to a 0-0 draw Sunday in a World Cup warmup match marking the reopening of Azteca Stadium after nearly two years of renovations.

Goncalo Ramos of Portugal came closest to scoring, striking the goalpost in the 26th minute. Mexico coach Javier Aguirre praised his squad's performance despite some inconsistencies and injuries, noting that 12 key players were unavailable.
 
Portugal also faced absences, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Rafael Leão.

Mexico will face South Africa at the Azteca in the World Cup opener on June 11, and Belgium next Tuesday at Soldier Field in Chicago. Portugal will debut on June 17 against the winner of the intercontinental playoff between Jamaica and Congo and play the U.S. at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium beforehand.

Tragedy struck before kickoff when a fan fell from the second level in the VIP section and died. Authorities said the intoxicated fan attempted to climb down and was fatally injured despite medical attention.

Protests also occurred outside the stadium by groups of mothers searching for missing relatives, highlighting ongoing criticism over Mexico's handling of its 130,000 registered missing people.

The match marked a historic return for the iconic stadium, which hosted the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals and will host five games in the upcoming 2026 tournament.    �"UNB