{"id":60118812,"date":"2026-02-03T18:16:47","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T18:16:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/?post_type=photo_story&#038;p=60118812"},"modified":"2026-02-03T20:33:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T20:33:14","slug":"world-cup-construction-fever-pits-mexico-city-locals-against-developers","status":"publish","type":"photo_story","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/world-cup-construction-fever-pits-mexico-city-locals-against-developers\/","title":{"rendered":"World Cup construction fever pits Mexico City locals against developers\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When Mexico takes to the pitch in June\u2019s football World Cup opening game, the nation will be glued to the television cheering on their team. Residents living near the iconic Azteca stadium, however, will be counting the cost to their dwindling water supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2026 men\u2019s tournament will be the first to be co-hosted by three nations: games are taking place in 16 host cities across Mexico, the United States and Canada. Mexico will host 13 of the 104 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.roadtrips.com\/world-cup\/2026-world-cup-packages\/schedule\/\">matches<\/a> \u2013 with five in the capital \u2013 and is <a href=\"https:\/\/mexicanpressagency.org\/newsroom-posts\/2026-world-cup-2\/\">anticipating<\/a> more than 5.5 million additional visitors in June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The event is <a href=\"https:\/\/fileshubprod.blob.core.windows.net\/filehub\/cfe114ed-61a6-40a3-887e-6a1e2bf9d639\/US%20Business%20Development\/World%20Cup%20Report\/WC_Report_MexicoCity.pdf?sv=2023-11-03&amp;spr=https&amp;st=2025-08-15T05%3A05%3A24Z&amp;se=2035-08-15T05%3A05%3A24Z&amp;sr=b&amp;sp=r&amp;sig=dAKiWiWFfJXWJ1rqXF171w2o%2BBy38UnoxqPtNe2TphI%3D\">expected<\/a> to generate USD 620 million in ticket sales, accommodation bookings and other consumer spending in Mexico City. As well as an MXN 2 billion (USD 110 million) renovation of the Azteca, authorities have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eleconomista.com.mx\/estados\/gobierno-cdmx-presenta-obras-infraestructura-recibir-mundial-futbol-20250507-758141.html\">announced<\/a> a series of ambitious public works projects for the area. These include a 34 km bike lane extending from the centre of the city, the repaving of roads around the stadium and the construction of a 1.5 km elevated pedestrian walkway on Tlalpan Avenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-story-image aligncenter block--story-image block--story-image--wide\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--story-image__column\"><div class=\"block--story-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250915_construction-works_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250915_construction-works_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-768x527.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250915_construction-works_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1024x703.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250915_construction-works_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1400x961.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250915_construction-works_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1800x1235.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250915_construction-works_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 999px) 1024px, (max-width: 1400px) 1400px, (max-width: 2000px) 2000px, 2560px\" alt=\"open drainage pipe beneath dug up concrete road\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--story-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--story-image__caption\">Ambitious public works are being undertaken in the area surrounding the Azteca, on top of renovation of the stadium itself (Image: Axel Hern\u00e1ndez)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250915_construction-works_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1757\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>F\u00e9lix Aguirre, director of the Azteca \u2013 now officially known as the Banorte stadium \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eleconomista.com.mx\/estados\/gobierno-cdmx-presenta-obras-infraestructura-recibir-mundial-futbol-20250507-758141.html\">says<\/a> its renovation will secure the venue\u2019s future for up to five decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But for those living in its shadow, this flurry of public investment has done little to assuage <a href=\"https:\/\/desinformemonos.org\/especulacion-inmobiliaria-crece-en-ciudad-de-mexico-con-el-mundial-2026-discriminando-a-pobladores-originarios\/\">concerns<\/a> about their already-waning water supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are three wells in the immediate area of the Azteca but for the past 12 years, Norma Pi\u00f1\u00f3n explains, the taps in the family home have only received water two or three times a week. She lives near the stadium, in Santa \u00darsula Coapa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-story-image aligncenter block--story-image block--story-image--wide\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--story-image__column\"><div class=\"block--story-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20251210_Norma-Pinon-portrait_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20251210_Norma-Pinon-portrait_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-768x529.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20251210_Norma-Pinon-portrait_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1024x705.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20251210_Norma-Pinon-portrait_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1400x964.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20251210_Norma-Pinon-portrait_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1800x1239.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20251210_Norma-Pinon-portrait_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 999px) 1024px, (max-width: 1400px) 1400px, (max-width: 2000px) 2000px, 2560px\" alt=\"woman standing outside concrete building surrounded by plants\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--story-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--story-image__caption\">Norma Pi\u00f1\u00f3n, resident of Santa \u00darsula Coapa, a neighbourhood right next to the stadium, says the taps in her family&#8217;s home only receive water two or three times a week (Image: Axel Hern\u00e1ndez)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20251210_Norma-Pinon-portrait_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"1 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1762\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When water is available, the family fills up the tanks that line their patio and rooftop. Pi\u00f1\u00f3n reuses laundry water to mop, and water her plants: \u201cWe have to know how to recycle it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The neighbourhood is mostly home to self-built family houses, like the Pi\u00f1\u00f3ns\u2019. A real-estate company recently acquired a property behind their home, however, and started building a modern, 19-unit apartment complex. The eight-storey construction on Popocatepetl Street will tower over the buildings around it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the neighbours, an advertisement marketed the apartments\u2019 strategic location for the upcoming World Cup. Pi\u00f1\u00f3n is concerned this development will be more than the local water supply can handle: \u201cI don\u2019t know where they\u2019re going to get the water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within the ambitious World Cup infrastructure plans, Mexico City\u2019s head of government <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eleconomista.com.mx\/estados\/gobierno-cdmx-presenta-obras-infraestructura-recibir-mundial-futbol-20250507-758141.html\">announced<\/a> urban regeneration works for three areas: Santa \u00darsula, Pueblo de Santa \u00darsula and San Lorenzo Huipulco. These were to include upgrades to potable water supplies and the construction of stormwater collectors. But for residents who have spent years without reliable water access, and who accuse government officials and private developers of a lack of transparency, there is reason to be dubious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-story-image aligncenter block--story-image block--story-image--wide\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--story-image__column\"><div class=\"block--story-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250908_Arnoldo-Lara-sign-protest_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-2.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250908_Arnoldo-Lara-sign-protest_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250908_Arnoldo-Lara-sign-protest_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250908_Arnoldo-Lara-sign-protest_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-2-1400x934.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250908_Arnoldo-Lara-sign-protest_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-2-1800x1200.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250908_Arnoldo-Lara-sign-protest_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-2.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 999px) 1024px, (max-width: 1400px) 1400px, (max-width: 2000px) 2000px, 2560px\" alt=\"man putting up poster on wall\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--story-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--story-image__caption\">\u201cI was born here, I grew up here, I resisted here. But lately, I no longer recognise the neighbourhood,\u201d says a poster put up by a resident of Santa \u00darsula Coapa (Image: Axel Hern\u00e1ndez)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250908_Arnoldo-Lara-sign-protest_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-2.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1707\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-water-inequality\">Water inequality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before colonisation, the inhabitants of Anahuac Valley \u2013 as the present-day Mexico City metropolitan area was known \u2013 had a harmonious relationship with water. That is according to Gonzalo Hatch Kuri, a geography professor at the National School of Earth Sciences at Mexico\u2019s National Autonomous University. Today, amidst rapid urban development, inhabitants of the city face frequent water cutoffs. \u201cThe problem isn\u2019t scarcity,\u201d says Hatch Kuri. \u201cThe problem is the unequal distribution of water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mexico City draws its public water supply from three main sources: a network of wells in the city and metropolitan area; a chain of reservoirs known as the Lerma-Cutzamala system; and a series of dams that start in the western state of Michoac\u00e1n. All those systems feed into the network that provides homes with potable water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Real-estate companies are among the city\u2019s industries that consume the most water, according to<a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1YT09gGawq_36ugmSTd3HhSInyzh4Bsgo\/view\"> data<\/a> from Mexico City\u2019s water authorities. When it comes to new developments, such companies are required to present public water studies that demonstrate sufficient water supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-story-image aligncenter block--story-image block--story-image--wide\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--story-image__column\"><div class=\"block--story-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20251210_apartment-complex-construction_Santa-Ursula-Coapa_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20251210_apartment-complex-construction_Santa-Ursula-Coapa_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20251210_apartment-complex-construction_Santa-Ursula-Coapa_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20251210_apartment-complex-construction_Santa-Ursula-Coapa_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1400x934.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20251210_apartment-complex-construction_Santa-Ursula-Coapa_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1800x1200.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20251210_apartment-complex-construction_Santa-Ursula-Coapa_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 999px) 1024px, (max-width: 1400px) 1400px, (max-width: 2000px) 2000px, 2560px\" alt=\"street cables crossing in front of tower block\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--story-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--story-image__caption\">An eight-storey apartment block will tower over Norma Pi\u00f1\u00f3n&#8217;s home when completed. The neighbours claim the apartments are being built without the necessary permits (Image: Axel Hern\u00e1ndez)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20251210_apartment-complex-construction_Santa-Ursula-Coapa_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1707\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Neighbours claim the new apartments behind Pi\u00f1\u00f3n\u2019s home lack these necessary permits and studies. In early December, city authorities shut down the construction site, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/reel\/887410290899010\">videos<\/a> recorded by locals appeared to show work continuing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also controversial was the decision to award a permit to Televisa, the media corporation that owns the Azteca via a subsidiary. The company had applied for a permit to support an application for the Estadio Azteca complex, which included shopping malls, hotels and offices next to the stadium. The project was suspended following local opposition but the permit was still granted. This is fuelling fears that large-scale development could still happen in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Santa \u00darsula Coapa is legally recognised as one of Mexico City\u2019s founding neighbourhoods. This designation grants the community self-governance rights and planning powers. However, according to the head of the town\u2019s communal-governance structure, Ruben Ram\u00edrez, the legally required consultation for the regeneration works here was not carried out before the permit was granted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to a map provided by residents of Santa \u00darsula Coapa, Conagua has designated the neighbourhood a high-risk zone for water stress due to heavy exploitation of water. \u201cThis implies a total risk for all the community around the stadium because the aquifer is at very low levels,\u201d Ram\u00edrez tells Dialogue Earth. \u201cWe are totally within our rights to demand that this concession be revoked. It does not fulfil any of the parameters established in [government] norms, and violates the rights of the Indigenous town of Santa \u00darsula.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-story-image aligncenter block--story-image block--story-image--wide\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--story-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--story-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250914_Be-Gran-Pedregal-complex_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250914_Be-Gran-Pedregal-complex_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250914_Be-Gran-Pedregal-complex_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250914_Be-Gran-Pedregal-complex_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1400x934.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250914_Be-Gran-Pedregal-complex_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1800x1200.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250914_Be-Gran-Pedregal-complex_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 999px) 1024px, (max-width: 1400px) 1400px, (max-width: 2000px) 2000px, 2560px\" alt=\"busy roads near apartment towers\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--story-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--story-image__caption\">New apartment towers can be seen or are under construction in neighbourhoods around the Azteca. But real-estate companies are among the industries that consume the most water, according to data from Mexico City\u2019s water authorities (Image: Axel Hern\u00e1ndez)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250914_Be-Gran-Pedregal-complex_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1707\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Official information about water extraction in Mexico City is scarce. There is no public registry of concessions granted to private companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The city\u2019s water authority, Segiagua, did not respond to a request for comment. Representatives from Televisa could not be reached for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-water-defenders\">The water defenders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In July, hundreds of people took to the streets of southern Mexico City in an anti-gentrification march. It was the second in a series of recent mobilisations to denounce real-estate speculation linked to the World Cup. Luis Alberto Salinas Arreortua, a geographer at Mexico\u2019s National Autonomous University, has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gaceta.unam.mx\/los-riesgos-que-vienen-con-la-gentrificacion-a-causa-del-mundial\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">warned<\/a> of the risks of gentrification, including the eventual displacement of local people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among protestors were members of the Front for the Defence of the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples and Neighbourhoods of the An\u00e1huac Basin (<a href=\"https:\/\/frentedelanahuac.wordpress.com\/\">FDDPBOCA<\/a>). The organisation, which defends the rights of the city\u2019s founding and Indigenous neighbourhoods, is opposing 50 real-estate mega-developments across Mexico City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-story-image aligncenter block--story-image block--story-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--story-image__column\"><div class=\"block--story-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250908_neighbors-glueing-posters_Santa-Ursula-Coapa_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250908_neighbors-glueing-posters_Santa-Ursula-Coapa_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250908_neighbors-glueing-posters_Santa-Ursula-Coapa_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250908_neighbors-glueing-posters_Santa-Ursula-Coapa_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1400x934.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250908_neighbors-glueing-posters_Santa-Ursula-Coapa_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1800x1200.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250908_neighbors-glueing-posters_Santa-Ursula-Coapa_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 999px) 1024px, (max-width: 1400px) 1400px, (max-width: 2000px) 2000px, 2560px\" alt=\"two people putting poster on wall\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--story-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--story-image__caption\">\u201cThe World Cup of displacement\u201d says a poster stuck up by two sympathisers of the Front for the Defence of the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples and Neighbourhoods of the An\u00e1huac Basin (Image: Axel Hern\u00e1ndez)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250908_neighbors-glueing-posters_Santa-Ursula-Coapa_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1707\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-story-image aligncenter block--story-image block--story-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--story-image__column\"><div class=\"block--story-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260118_FIFA-go-home-banner_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260118_FIFA-go-home-banner_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260118_FIFA-go-home-banner_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260118_FIFA-go-home-banner_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1400x934.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260118_FIFA-go-home-banner_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1800x1200.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260118_FIFA-go-home-banner_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 999px) 1024px, (max-width: 1400px) 1400px, (max-width: 2000px) 2000px, 2560px\" alt=\"large banner stating \u201cFifa go home\u201d on wall\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--story-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--story-image__caption\">A banner stating \u201cFifa go home\u201d right by the Azteca stadium. Real-estate speculation linked to the World Cup has led to protests in the capital (Image: Axel Hern\u00e1ndez)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260118_FIFA-go-home-banner_Azteca-Stadium_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"1 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1707\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A common factor in these disputes is the overexploitation of water: real-estate developments that place yet more demands on the city\u2019s water system. It is a key threat to longtime residents (some of whom trace their routes back to pre-Hispanic settlements in the valley). The evidence is in the neighbours\u2019 taps: residents in the south of the city say they have watched their water supplies dwindle when shopping malls and apartment complexes are established nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cReal-estate capital dreams of coming to the south of the city to get the people\u2019s water,\u201d claims Alejandro Ortiz, a member of the FDDPBOCA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The group released a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FDDPBA\/posts\/pfbid02jQeMsdnpv9T7dVpEVD4vTe42544oLpbZR6LZZ5dynowLtKNUmufFGwZkBUinnYTPl?locale=es_LA\">report<\/a> in January 2025 detailing the estimated water demands of a series of ongoing projects, including several in the vicinity of the Azteca. They include the expansion of the Gran Sur shopping mall, with a demand of 109,650 litres of water per day; the three 30-storey apartment towers known as Mantik Luis Cabrera require 408,280 litres across 586 apartments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--wide\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250915_High-Park-Sur-complex_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250915_High-Park-Sur-complex_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-768x535.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250915_High-Park-Sur-complex_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez-1024x713.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250915_High-Park-Sur-complex_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpeg 2560w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 2560px\" alt=\"building with sign saying Gran Sur next to tower block\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\">A modern apartment building next to the Gran Sur shopping mall. People living in the vicinity of the Azteca say their water supplies dwindle when shopping malls and apartment complexes are built nearby (Image: Axel Hern\u00e1ndez)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250915_High-Park-Sur-complex_Mexico-City_Axel-Hernandez.jpeg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"1 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1782\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2017, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/02614367.2017.1324512\">research<\/a> conducted by the University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom, explored human-rights abuses connected to \u201cmega-events\u201d like the World Cup. It found that there is a \u201croutinization of harm to local populations\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fifa, the tournament organiser, did not respond to a request for comment. Previous World Cups have taken place amid controversies over harms linked to them, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2013\/dec\/05\/world-cup-favelas-socially-cleansed-olympics\">mass displacement of favela residents<\/a> before the 2014 Brazil tournament and alleged <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2013\/sep\/25\/revealed-qatars-world-cup-slaves\">migrant worker abuses<\/a> in the run-up to the 2022 tournament in Qatar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With five World Cup matches scheduled at the Azteca, activists say the mega-event is not just a sporting milestone. It could also mark an inflection point for who has the right to running water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Article thumbnail: Mauricio Salas \/ Alamy<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As Mexico prepares for this summer\u2019s World Cup opener, neighbours of the Azteca stadium are tallying the water costs of rapid development<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":60118830,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[50039903],"tags":[502,20000237,607],"country":[50002597],"class_list":["post-60118812","photo_story","type-photo_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-water","tag-activism","tag-sustainable-development","tag-water-scarcity","country-mexico"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v26.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>World Cup construction fever pits Mexico City locals against 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