FIFA World Cup 2026: Mexico and South Africa Open Expanded Tournament in Mexico City

The 2026 FIFA World Cup officially commenced on Thursday, 11 June 2026, with the group stage opener between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. This fixture marked the beginning of the first tournament to be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, featuring an expanded field of 48 teams competing over a 39-day period. The match served as a rematch of the 2010 World Cup opening fixture, with Mexico manager Javier Aguirre and South African coach Hugo Broos leading their respective teams.

The tournament structure involves a total of 104 matches scheduled across the three host nations, concluding on 19 July 2026. In the United States, exclusive English-language broadcast rights for the tournament are held by FOX and FS1, with coverage available via the FOX One and FOX Sports applications. Betting markets for the opening match were available through FanDuel, with CBS Sports predicting a 2-1 victory for Mexico.

South Africa is making its fourth World Cup appearance, having previously participated in 1998, 2002, and 2010, but has never advanced beyond the group stage. Coach Hugo Broos noted that this tournament would be his final one, describing it as his swan song. Broos has a personal history with the host nation, having played his last World Cup as a player in Mexico 40 years prior.

Mexico’s squad features a mix of veterans, prime players, and young talent, including Raul Jimenez, Julian Quinones, Brian Gutierrez, and Gilberto Mora. As the host nation, Mexico faces significant pressure to set the tone early in the competition. Jimenez provides experience and leadership as the front-line focal point, while Quinones brings momentum from a solid season in Saudi Arabia.

The tournament concludes on 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The final half-time show will be curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and will feature performances by Madonna, Shakira, and BTS. This marks the first half-time show in FIFA World Cup history.

New York and New Jersey attorneys-general have issued a subpoena to FIFA regarding ticket sales, specifically investigating "dynamic pricing" and seat allocation accuracy for matches at MetLife Stadium. The investigation stems from allegations that dynamic pricing resulted in costs exceeding previous tournaments and that fans were misled about seat locations.