Fears are mounting that the stadium set to host the opening game of this summer's World Cup is sinking, according to a report. The showpiece event will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada between June 11 and July 19, with the first match scheduled to be Mexico versus South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
NASA is now reportedly monitoring the ground from space amid suggestions that parts of the city are sinking by up to 10 inches per year. According to The Star, fans have reported chunks of concrete breaking in the stadium's floor, the site where Diego Maradona scored his infamous 'Hand of God' goal against England in 1986.
Fans have allegedly been taking sections of the stadium home as souvenirs, plunging the venue into crisis with less than 32 days to go until the start of the tournament. The damage is said to have been first noticed during the first leg of the Liga MX Clausura quarter-finals.
NASA is monitoring the stadium live using powerful radar systems in space. The NISAR satellite can detect small changes in the Earth's surface even through thick vegetation or cloud cover. Some parts of Mexico City are reported to be sinking by more than half an inch every month, one of the fastest rates in the world.
Marin Govorcin, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said: 'Mexico City is subsiding primarily due to pumping of groundwater from the aquifer below the city at a rate that far exceeds natural recharge from precipitation. As water is withdrawn, the aquifer compacts under the weight of the city above it.'
The Estadio Azteca is due to host five games at the tournament: three group stage matches, plus a round of 32 tie and one round of 16 game. Mexican side Club America plays its home games there, as does the Mexico national team. The stadium holds up to 87,500 fans.
Ahead of the first game of the tournament, an opening ceremony lasting 90 minutes is planned. Alejandro Fernandez, Belinga, Danny Ocean, and Lila Downs are all set to perform. The United States and Canada will hold their own opening ceremonies the following day, featuring performances from the likes of Katy Perry in Los Angeles and Michael Buble in Toronto.
