MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico and Portugal played to a scoreless draw on Saturday night in a warmup match that marked the reopening of the Azteca Stadium after nearly two years of renovations for the 2026 World Cup.
Goncalo Ramos had the best scoring chance in the match when he rattled the goalpost in the 26th minute.
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Protesters gather outside the Azteca Stadium to urge the government to help locate their missing relatives prior to the international friendly soccer match between Mexico and Portugal in Mexico City, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Mexico's Jesus Gallardo, right, and Portugal's Matheus Nunes compete for the ball during the international friendly soccer match between Mexico and Portugal in Mexico City, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Mexico's coach Javier Aguirre gestures during the international friendly soccer match between Mexico and Portugal in Mexico City, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Fireworks go off at the halftime during the international friendly soccer match between Mexico and Portugal in Mexico City, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Mexico's Raul Jimenez, front, passes the ball during the international friendly soccer match between Mexico and Portugal in Mexico City, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
The iconic Azteca Stadium, which hosted the finals of the 1970 and 1986 World Cup tournaments, has been closed since May 2024 for renovations for the upcoming World Cup, where it will host five matches: three in the first-round and two in the knockout stages.
“Individually, everyone, or almost everyone, responded well,” said Mexico coach Javier Aguirre. “Yes, there are some inconsistencies, which is normal, but I’m happy with the performance.”
“Obviously, I don’t want to ignore the fact that some players are out injured. As I said, there are 12 players who are missing, players who helped us win the Nations League and the Gold Cup,” Aguirre added.
The Portuguese also faced the match with absences, most notably those of forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Rafael Leão.
Mexico plays South Africa at the Azteca in the June 11 tournament opener.
“For us it is important to face these types of rivals, who are among the best in the world because it shows us what level we are at," said midfielder Erik Sanchez. "Now we have to think about doing things well against Belgium.”
The Mexicans will play against Belgium next Tuesday at Soldier Field in Chicago, while Portugal face the United States at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Portugal will make its debut in the World Cup on June 17 against the winner of the intercontinental playoffs match between Jamaica and Congo.
Security authorities said a fan in the VIP box area of the reopened stadium fell from the second level and died shortly before the match commenced.
“An intoxicated fan attempted to climb from the second to the first level by jumping over the outside, causing him to fall to the ground floor,” local police said. “He was attended to by medical personnel, but unfortunately, he lost his life”.
Before the match, groups of mothers searching for missing family members staged protests outside the stadium, bypassing city government controls that restricted access to ticket holders only.
Mexico’s government said in a new report Friday that it had identified signs of life for a third of the country’s 130,000 registered missing people, an announcement that was quickly criticized by a number of search groups who called it another attempt to undermine the depth of Mexico’s disappearance crisis.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Protesters gather outside the Azteca Stadium to urge the government to help locate their missing relatives prior to the international friendly soccer match between Mexico and Portugal in Mexico City, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Mexico's Jesus Gallardo, right, and Portugal's Matheus Nunes compete for the ball during the international friendly soccer match between Mexico and Portugal in Mexico City, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Mexico's coach Javier Aguirre gestures during the international friendly soccer match between Mexico and Portugal in Mexico City, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Fireworks go off at the halftime during the international friendly soccer match between Mexico and Portugal in Mexico City, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Mexico's Raul Jimenez, front, passes the ball during the international friendly soccer match between Mexico and Portugal in Mexico City, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Coach Tommy Lloyd climbed the ladder, cut the last strand of the net and waved to the Arizona fans while they chanted, “Tommy! Tommy!”
Lloyd and the Wildcats are back in the Final Four for the first time since Lute Olson's heyday 25 years ago as Arizona once again looks like a threat to win it all.
Freshman Koa Peat scored 20 points with his strength inside and Arizona's defense bottled up Purdue in the second half to give the top-seeded Wildcats a 79-64 victory in the NCAA Tournament's West Region final on Saturday night.
“Just being a kid from Arizona, to take this team to a Final Four, man, it’s a blessing,” said Peat, who was named the region’s Most Outstanding Player. “I’m proud of these guys. We worked for this. We’re not done yet.”
After years of disappointment in March, Lloyd has gotten Arizona (36-2) back to being a championship contender thanks to a talented freshman class led by Peat to go along with veterans like Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley.
The Wildcats showed they can win in almost any style. They used a nearly flawless performance on offense to beat Arkansas in the Sweet 16 and then shut down one of the nation's most efficient offenses against second-seeded Purdue (30-9) in front of a large crowd of Arizona fans.
“Making it to the Final Four is big,” Bradley said. “We appreciate Tucson, the supporters, and everybody behind the scenes. We just are happy that we get to reward them with this.”
Arizona frustrated the NCAA record-holder in assists, Braden Smith, and prevented his fellow four-year seniors Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer from getting into a rhythm. Purdue was held to its second-lowest point total of the season and shot just 38% from the field.
Arizona used an 16-3 run early in the second half to erase a seven-point halftime deficit and take a six-point lead on a 3-pointer from Anthony Dell’Orso. The Wildcats stayed in control from there. Brayden Burries hit a 3-pointer, and after a turnover by Smith, Ivan Kharchenkov made a layup for an 11-point lead.
Peat put the exclamation point on the win with dunk that made it 68-55 with less than six minutes remaining, sending the Wildcats to Indianapolis next week on a 13-game winning streak.
Peat became just the sixth freshman to score at least 20 points to help his team win in both the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.
“They call him Mr. Arizona,” Lloyd said. “Koa is special, and I know you guys hear it, but you got to hear it again. Four state championships at the same high school. Didn’t go to a prep school. Four gold medals with USA Basketball. No one in FIBA history has ever done that. And helped lead Arizona to a Final Four.”
The trip to the Final Four is a long-awaited one for the Wildcats, who last made it to that stage in 2001 when they lost the title game to Duke under Olson. They had lost five straight times in the Elite Eight since — tied for the second-longest skid ever in that round — under the three coaches who followed Olson after he retired in 2007.
Lloyd replaced Sean Miller in 2021, and this year's Wildcats have set the school's single-season record for wins en route to the Final Four.
“Without Lute — without Sean doing what he did for those 12 years he was here, I wouldn’t be able to do what we did today. I fully understand that,” Lloyd said. “Those guys, this is for them too. You know, I have no problem sharing the success of this team with the coaches that came before me.”
Kharchenkov scored 18 points for Arizona, while Bradley and Burries each scored 14.
Purdue withstood an early push from Arizona and quieted the large contingent of Wildcats fans with a strong finish to the first half. Smith returned from a rare five-minute stint on the bench to hit his third 3-pointer of the half. He set up C.J. Cox for a 3 and then drew an offensive foul before firing up the Boilermakers fans. Purdue led 38-31 to match Arizona’s largest halftime deficit of the season.
But the Boilermakers wilted in the second half as the senior trio that began their careers losing in the opening round as a No. 1 seed to Fairleigh Dickinson in 2023 and lost the title game the following year to UConn couldn't get back to the Final Four.
Smith scored 13 points, Kaufman-Renn had 10 and Loyer just eight. The three combined to shoot 12 for 38 from the field.
“They’re obviously very talented,” Smith said. “They’re the No. 3 defensive team in the country. They rebound at a high, high level. I think that’s kind of where they got us. We would make a couple of plays, get a couple of blocks and then got it right back and were able to score. Obviously we didn’t make as much shots as we did in the first half in the second half. Then obviously those add up.”
Arizona will take on the winner of Sunday’s game between Michigan and Tennessee in the national semifinals Saturday.
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
Arizona forward Koa Peat celebrates after a win over Purdue in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L Cox)
Arizona players hold a trophy after a win over Purdue in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd waves as he cuts down the net after a win over Purdue in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov reacts after scoring during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Purdue, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L Cox)
Purdue guard Braden Smith (3) walks off the court after a loss to Arizona in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) reacts as Arizona takes a lead over Purdue during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L Cox)
Arizona guard Bryce James (6), forward Koa Peat, center, and guard Brayden Burries celebrate after a win over Purdue in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L Cox)
Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) dunks during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Purdue, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L Cox)
