The most important series in Sporting Kansas City’s international history is just around the corner. On April 4 and 11, Manager Peter Vermes’ side will battle Mexican giants CF Monterrey in the 2019 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Semifinals. The second leg is slated for 8 p.m. CT on April 11 at Children’s Mercy Park, with tickets now on sale at SeatGeek.com.
In the buildup to this titanic clash, SportingKC.com is relaunching the Champions League Countdown to give readers a comprehensive look at Sporting’s semifinal opponent. This 10-part series, running from March 25 to April 3, will shed light on all things Monterrey—ranging from players to watch and recent performances to past history in the Champions League and more.
Four days from now, Sporting Kansas City will visit one of the finest soccer stadiums in North America for the first leg of the Concacaf Champions League Semifinals against Monterrey.
The state-of-the-art Estadio BBVA Bancomer has landed the nickname “El Gigante de Acero,” Spanish for “The Steel Giant,” due to its stunning exterior aesthetics, and on Thursday night as many as 53,500 fans could pack the venue for an all-important Champions League battle.
Construction and Inauguration
The fourth-largest soccer stadium in Mexico, Estadio BBVA Bancomer was inaugurated on Aug. 2, 2015, when Monterrey defeated Portuguese powerhouse Benfica 3-0 in a highly decorated friendly. Architecture and design firm Populous, which oversaw the construction of Children’s Mercy Park at the start of the decade, partnered with Mexican architects V&FO and Federico Velasco for the $200 million project, which began in 2011.
Estadio BBVA Bancomer replaced the now-demolished Estadio Tecnologico, which served as Monterrey’s home for 63 years. The stadium is located in Guadalupe, a suburb less than seven miles from the Monterrey city center.
Monterrey’s Fortress
Not too surprisingly, Monterrey have thrived on the Estadio BBVA Bancomer pitch. Rayados are 41-5-19 all-time in Liga MX regular season matches played at the stadium. That number dips in the Liga MX playoffs, however, as Monterrey are 5-4-1 in the venue’s 10 postseason games.
Rayados are 3-1-0 in four Champions League fixtures played at Estadio BBVA Bancomer, including shutout wins over Alianza of El Salvador and Atlanta United FC this winter. In the 2016-17 group stage, Monterrey soundly defeated Haitian side Don Bosco but suffered a shock home loss to Panamanian club Arabe Unido.
Design
Fans would be hard-pressed to find a better-looking stadium in Mexico. A natural grass playing surface is engulfed by a two-tiered grandstand and two levels of luxury seating, consisting of 5,000 club seats and 324 suites. Other features include a club-themed restaurant and lounge and a high-end interior and exterior.
The distance between the pitch and the first-row seats are at the minimum lengths allowed by FIFA, providing fans intimate closeness to the action. The grass field itself is a hybrid, suitable for high temperatures in the summer and low temperatures in the winter.
The stadium is also designed to filter rainwater, which contributes to the recharge of local aquifers. The surrounding parking lots are situated near an expansive ecological park, wooded by native trees and plants of the region as a means of preserving the natural environment.
Ready for 2026
Estadio BBVA Bancomer has been confirmed as one of the three Mexican stadiums that will host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, joining Mexico City’s famous Estadio Azteca and Guadalajara’s Estadio Akron.
Quick refresher: the 2026 World Cup will be joint-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States. Canada’s three confirmed venues will be Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton and BMO Field in Toronto. The U.S. will select its 10 host venues in late 2020, with Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium among the 17 candidates.
