FIFA World Cup 2026 Opens in Mexico City Amid Legal Scrutiny and Squad Changes

The 2026 FIFA World Cup officially commenced on 11 June (local time), corresponding to 12 June at 4:35 am Japanese Standard Time, with an opening match between host nation Mexico and South Africa. The fixture took place at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, marking the start of the first World Cup jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The tournament features an expanded field of 48 teams and is scheduled to run until 19 July.

The opening game served as a rematch of the teams' encounter in the 2010 World Cup. Mexico’s squad includes veterans and key players such as Raul Jimenez, Julian Quinones, Brian Gutierrez, and Gilberto Mora. The tournament marks the first edition to feature 48 teams, increasing the competition duration to 39 days.

Concurrently, the attorneys-general of New York and New Jersey have issued subpoenas to FIFA regarding ticket sales. The investigation specifically targets "dynamic pricing" structures and the accuracy of seat allocation at MetLife Stadium. Attorneys-general allege that dynamic pricing resulted in costs exceeding previous tournaments and that fans were misled about seat locations.

In squad news, Japan’s captain, Wataru Endo, has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury. Forward Daizen Maeda has been called up to replace Endo in the Japanese national team squad, which consists of 26 players. Longto Youya is participating in his fifth World Cup, while Keisuke Honda has commented on potential "big surprises" for the Japanese team.

The specific nature of Endo’s injury is not detailed in the source material. The exact outcome or score of the Mexico vs South Africa opening match is not provided in the source text. The specific findings or outcomes of the New York and New Jersey subpoenas against FIFA are not yet determined, only that the investigation has commenced.