CITY OF MEXICO
Thousands of fans appeared in the vicinity of the Azteca Stadium several hours before the match between the Houston Texans and the Oakland Raiders, either looking for tickets or anticipating their immediate access to the match that ended 11 years of waiting for Mexico to host an NFL game again.
The security operation deployed five thousand elements of the capital police in the vicinity of the stadium, as well as the presence of federal police officers. It was reported before the start of the match that 15 people were referred to the Public Ministry for ticket resale.
The arrival of fans from different states of Mexico and other countries was a constant, highlighting the Raiders' fans, one of the most popular teams in the country.
Along with four friends, Eduardo Navarrete traveled from California to enjoy the Monday Night game. Before entering the Azteca Stadium, he was accompanied by mariachis to get into the Mexican atmosphere.
We are 100% Raiders fans, passionate, we go to all the games in Oakland and we are here supporting our team", said enthusiast Navarrete.
There was a lot of festivity around the Stadium Circuit. Even without a ticket, the important thing was to be in the action zone, said Oscar Martinez. "There is no other place like Mexico and there is no other team like the Raiders, it's a perfect combination."
Prior to the start of the match, an aerial show was enjoyed with F5 aircraft from the Mexican Army, which flew over the Azteca Stadium minutes before the kickoff.
The influx of fans continued once the match started, and there were still people accessing the Azteca after 20:00 hours, when the match had already started, which could also be followed in open areas of some delegations in the capital.