Guadalajara races to finish World Cup preparations

Guadalajara is racing against time to complete infrastructure and public space enhancements as it gears up to host the 2026 World Cup. The city is adorned with soccer-themed decorations, including giant balls and murals on underpasses, signaling the imminent arrival of thousands of tourists.

Several remodeling and infrastructure projects, initiated with the goal of accommodating visitors, are still underway. These include the expansion of the road leading to the airport and its access points, and the construction of Line 5 of the electromobility system, which will connect the airport to the Estadio Guadalajara. Areas like the historic city center, designated for the Fan Fest, and the popular restaurant and bar district along Avenida Chapultepec are also undergoing renovations.

Monumental soccer balls have been placed at prominent locations like La Minerva and Los Arcos de Zapopan, with plans for more installations in the city center and Chapultepec area. Giant vinyls of a soccer ball crashing into windows are also being affixed to buildings in emblematic spots, with the first already visible on a hotel near Los Arcos.

A massive mural, nearly 11,000 square meters, now covers the walls of a vehicular tunnel at the intersection of Periférico and Calzada Independencia. The artwork features football legends such as Oswaldo Sánchez, Maribel Domínguez, Andrés Guardado, Rafael Márquez, Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kylian Mbappé. Other tunnels and major avenues across the city are also being decorated with World Cup-themed murals.

Workers are striving to meet the state government's construction schedule near the airport. However, one significant mobility improvement project, an overpass connecting the Chapala highway with Avenida Adolf Horn, has stalled. This project, managed by the Pacific Airport Group, has an incomplete structure that now complicates traffic flow. Officials indicate the structure may need to be removed and rebuilt after the World Cup concludes.

“

It is most likely that they will have to remove the structures and place them after the World Cup.