Mexico City. The América-Cruz Azul matches have the ability to shake the foundations of a city. They put urban infrastructure in check, saturate subway stations, and trigger dynamic taxi rates per application. But, above all, they are a social thermometer: this Saturday, the 1-1 draw left a bitter taste in a fan who feels that soccer has stopped being a mirror of the street and has become an exclusive privilege, even a young classic in the regular phase.

The culture of the so-called young classic – the first to be played since the reopening of the Azteca Stadium – collides today with a different reality. While the authorities carry out logistical tests towards the FIFA World Cup, passion has returned to the cash register with tickets that fluctuated between 683 pesos and 9 thousand pesos, as if the shout of a goal was worth more depending on the proximity of the grass. This pricing logic left a visible mark: hundreds of empty seats in premium categories and high areas.

In the area designated for the main sponsor, tarps covered the gaps where the concrete now waits for new World Cup seats. Parking was another sticking point. The cost within the facility rose from 350 pesos to 1,139 pesos with the same inertia as the Park&Drive service (satellite parking), similar to the one implemented on March 28 in Mexico-Portugal, which reached 650 pesos.

Victor Camacho

The flanneleros, owners of the street par excellence, offered spaces on the public road for 700 pesos, double what they charged just two years ago, when both teams met in the final of Clausura 2024. The inflation of sentiment. “It’s a robbery, that’s why so many of us have been walking for 30 minutes,” affected followers mentioned. “The places at the top, at almost 700 pesos, are not that bad, but paying for the rest of the areas is crazy.”

Since the beginning of the remodeling works, the Azteca – now renamed Estadio Banorte – has no longer corresponded to the price of tickets. Only those with a larger budget enter. During the match, América noticed a certain fear of a rival from whom their fans presume to have taken everything (titles and locations, including that of the Ciudad de los Deportes Stadium). He attacked, controlled the ball and soon gained the advantage with a goal from midfielder Patricio Salas (17), who hit a header at the first post when Cruz Azul was a sea of ​​nerves.

Against the current, The Machine managed to react. He lost his reference in attack, the Argentine Nicolás Ibáñez (due to an Achilles heel injury), but the team remained standing with the equalizer of Omar Campos (45+3), in a strange shot with his thigh. To mitigate the economic impact, the fans opted for the community. There were few who paid for the stadium parking alone; The majority arrived in groups of three or four members to divide the expense.

Victor Camacho

Despite modernization, access proved an obstacle course. The fluidity was interrupted by the mandatory Fan ID and the intermittency of QR code readers. Although 1,200 WiFi antennas were installed, connectivity continued to be the great pending issue; Posting a video, a photo, or making a digital payment required multiple attempts and endless patience.

In the midst of this new ecosystem of prices and restrictions, folklore survived nearby. On the Calzada de Tlalpan, the América entertainment groups sang their usual songs, some perched on the awnings of trucks with flags flying in the wind. “Let’s go/ let’s go Amééérica/ tonight/ we have to win/”, resounded in the streets. Others, more cautious, held their breath after walking up to half an hour from remote parking lots, preparing for what will always be more than just a game.

In the northern capital, where the Kaoz Ritual is located, the smell of marijuana spread after Salas’ 1-0, flouting the rigorous review protocols endorsed by FIFA. Even the halftime show, performed by Venezuelan singer Lasso, was not without problems, presenting obvious flaws in the local sound. In the end, the young classic showed that, although the Azteca changes its name and the prices expel the common fan from the big games, the passion for the game remains indomitable.