World Cup commences in Mexico City with Shakira headline and historic trilateral hosting

The 2026 FIFA World Cup officially commenced on Thursday, 11 June 2026, with the opening fixture between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The event marks the start 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. This tournament represents the first World Cup held in Mexico in 40 years, concluding with a final on 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

The opening ceremony was headlined by global music star Shakira, alongside performances by J Balvin, Burna Boy, Danny Ocean, and Tyla. Fernando Fernandez, son of veteran crooner Vicente Fernandez, performed the Mexican national anthem, while Tyla performed the South African national anthem. Performers in the stadium wore indigenous clothing or gold outfits, holding giant golden footballs, while thousands of fans dressed in Mexico's team colours filled the venue.

The launch of the tournament follows a complex preparatory phase that included renovations to the airport and Azteca stadium, as well as protests and concerns regarding cartel violence in Mexico. Despite these challenges, the atmosphere in Mexico City was characterised by excitement, with spectators such as Javier Pérez expressing that the opportunity to host the event outweighed previous logistical hassles. Fans celebrated the conclusion of the ceremony by throwing sombreros into the air as the match began.

The 2026 World Cup is the first to feature an expanded field of 48 teams, a structural change that extends the competition to 104 matches. The tournament schedule spans from 11 June to 19 July, with the final featuring a Super Bowl-style half-time show curated by Chris Martin, which will include performances by Madonna, Shakira, and BTS. This format aims to support FIFA’s Global Citizen Education Fund, targeting $100 million for children worldwide.

Following the Mexico City opener, the focus of the tournament’s administrative and ceremonial activities shifts north. Tyla is scheduled to return to the World Cup stage on Friday for the US opening ceremony in Los Angeles, alongside Katy Perry, Future, Lisa, and Anitta. The co-hosting arrangement ensures that each nation plays a role in the tournament’s opening proceedings, reinforcing the collaborative governance model established for this edition of the World Cup.

The event underscores a broader trend in international sporting governance, where commercial and cultural elements are increasingly integrated into the core structure of major tournaments. The inclusion of a half-time show in the World Cup final, a tradition previously associated with American football, highlights the evolving intersection of sports, media, and entertainment. FIFA President Gianni Infantino first announced the intention to hold such a show in March 2025, following precedents set at the 2024 Copa America and FIFA Club World Cup finals.

As the 48-team tournament unfolds, the logistical scale of the 39-day competition will be tested across three nations. The opening match between Mexico and South Africa serves as the inaugural fixture in a schedule that includes matches across multiple time zones and venues. The success of this trilateral hosting model will be closely monitored by international sports bodies and policymakers as a potential template for future large-scale global events.