Football in the heights: how Mexico's altitude and heat changed the game
Mexico hosted the 1970 and 1986 World Cups above 2,000 metres and under a scorching sun. In 2026 altitude returns to the stage.
Not all World Cups are played in the same conditions, and few have been as physically demanding as those hosted by Mexico in 1970 and 1986. The combination of altitude and heat turned the sporting challenge into a test of survival too.
Mexico City sits about 2,240 metres above sea level. At that height the air is thinner, there is less oxygen and players' stamina suffers; the ball also travels faster and takes different flight paths, forcing teams to adjust their game.
To the altitude was added the heat. Many matches were played at midday, under a scorching sun, to fit prime television viewing hours in Europe. That was the case with the legendary 1970 semi-final between Italy and Germany, an extreme test of endurance that made the seven-goal extra time all the more heroic.
In 1986, Diego Maradona produced at the Azteca one of the greatest individual tournaments in history despite those conditions, proving that talent knows how to adapt to the physical demands of the environment too.
In 2026, with Mexico once again a co-host, altitude and heat return to the conversation: venues like the Estadio Azteca itself again place the environmental factor at the heart of teams' strategy. Playing in the heights is never just another match.
Source: Wikipedia (1970 FIFA World Cup; 1986 FIFA World Cup; Estadio Azteca).