The Village under the Azteca's Shadow

In the shadow of one of football’s most iconic stadiums, a community has been telling its own story, one mural at a time. CGTN’s Alasdair Baverstock visits Santa Ursula Coapa, the neighborhood beside Mexico City’s legendary Estadio Azteca, where a group of artists is transforming blank walls into living history ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. From ancient lava flows and colonial-era farming to the complex love-hate relationship residents have with the stadium on their doorstep, these murals give a voice to a community that has long lived in the Azteca’s shadow. With World Cup crowds about to pour through these streets, the world is about to discover that the real story here isn’t inside the stadium.