The 2026 FIFA World Cup officially begins as Mexico hosts South Africa in the tournament opener at the Mexico City Stadium. The match is the first of 104 games scheduled for the event.
The tournament will run for a month and a half, with this fixture marking the start of international competition across the co-host nations. Mexico enters the match as a co-host in front of a home crowd.
The meeting in Mexico City is a rematch of the teams’ encounter that opened the 2010 World Cup. South Africa returns to the World Cup stage for this opening-day matchup.
Nicknamed El Tri, Mexico will seek to begin its campaign on home soil, while South Africa, known as Bafana Bafana, aims to contest the opening match in the host city.
Updates and coverage from Mexico City will be provided by the site’s experts and contributors throughout the game and the opening day, according to the outlet’s team of reporters and analysts.
