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Monterrey will be the venue for one of the most symbolic milestones in the history of world football: on June 20, the BBVA Stadium will host the 1,000th match in the history of the World Cups, a clash between Tunisia and Japan corresponding to the second day of Group F of the .
The announcement was made by Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, through his social media, where he highlighted the exceptional nature of the meeting.
"On June 20, a historic match will take place in Monterrey. The one thousandth match in World Cup history: Tunisia vs Japan, the thousandth match. It’s going to be a total celebration, just like all the matches here in Monterrey," Infantino stated.
The match carries not only statistical weight but also sporting significance: both teams will be looking for crucial points to advance to the next round within the Group F, which also includes the Netherlands and Sweden.
The city is already preparing to commemorate the milestone with special activities. Local authorities plan to install a wall with 1,000 plaques, each representing one of the matches played in the history of the tournament, as well as a social legacy project that includes the annual provision of one thousand scholarships for young people in Monterrey.
The BBVA Stadium will host a total of four matches during the 2026 World Cup: three group stage games and one round of 16 match on June 29, where the first-placed team from Group F will face the second-placed team from Group C.
This milestone adds to other historical precedents of the tournament. The 100th match was Austria 3-1 Uruguay in the third place match of Switzerland 1954, while the 500th was Nigeria 2-0 Greece, played on June 30, 1994 during the World Cup in the United States.
For Monterrey, this edition marks its second participation as a World Cup host city. The city had previously hosted eight matches during Mexico 1986, at the Estadio Universitario and Estadio Tecnológico.
The 2026 World Cup is also the first to be jointly organized by three countries —Mexico, the United States, and Canada— and the first edition featuring 48 teams participating, with a format of 12 groups of four teams and a total of 104 matches.
Since the first match held in Uruguay in 1930, the World Cup has grown from generation to generation to become the most watched sporting event on the planet. Now, almost a century later, Monterrey will write its name in that history by being the venue for the match that completes the thousand.
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