DrainTalent at Estadio Akron: Flooded to Kickoff in 90 Minutes

Estadio Akron in Guadalajara is home to Liga MX club Chivas de Guadalajara. The stadium was also one of the host venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosting four matches. It’s one of three World Cup stadiums to feature DrainTalent technology, alongside Seattle and Vancouver. The DrainTalent system was installed at Estadio Akron in 2025, ahead of the tournament and the season of Liga MX fixtures either side of it.

DrainTalent is a vacuum-drainage and subsurface irrigation system. Rather than relying on gravity and surface run-off, it actively pulls water out of the pitch profile from below, cutting recovery time after heavy rainfall. The same infrastructure works in reverse too, enabling precise irrigation and moisture control from below the surface. At Estadio Akron, it was the drainage side of the system that was put to the test.

Since installation, the system has now been tested by two major storms – most recently on 22 August 2026, for Chivas vs Tijuana.

September 2025 – Chivas vs Tigres – Heavy rain fell in the build-up to the fixture, with around 45mm recorded in roughly 70 minutes. The pitch’s drainage swiftly extracted the stormwater and the surface recovered in time for the match to go ahead.

22 August 2026 – Chivas vs Tijuana – Most recently, a more severe storm struck Guadalajara ahead of the Liga MX fixture. At 18:00, the pitch was underwater and kickoff was delayed while officials assessed conditions. 51mm of rain fell over a short period, with DrainTalent extracting 361m³ of water from the pitch profile. By 19:30, the match was underway.

Estadio Akron has now proven, twice, that heavy storms don’t have to mean a lost fixture – and as extreme weather becomes more of a planning consideration for venues everywhere, that record will only carry more weight.