Shafaq News- Mexico City
The 2026 FIFA World Cup —the largest in the sport's history, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches across the United States, Mexico, and Canada— opens Thursday at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with co-host Mexico facing South Africa.
June 11, 2026, falls precisely 16 years after Siphiwe Tshabalala's long-range strike sent Soccer City into eruption at the 2010 World Cup opener in Johannesburg, with Rafael Márquez equalizing to end the match 1-1. Thursday's kickoff (10:00 PM Baghdad time) at the Estadio Azteca reverses the geography and the host nation, and reopens a chapter both sides remember differently.
With 80,000 fans expected inside the Estadio Azteca, Mexico enters the tournament carrying the weight of a nation that has reached the quarterfinals only twice, in 1970 and 1986, both on home soil, and has never advanced beyond that stage. Their elimination in the group stage at Qatar 2022 has sharpened the pressure on co-host El Tri, who have not won a competitive match at the World Cup since 2018.
Mexico head into Thursday's match off the back of eight successive unbeaten friendlies in 2026, including wins over Ghana, Australia, and Serbia, the latter by a 5-1 scoreline. César Montes, Edson Álvarez, Luis Chávez, and Alexis Vega were all dealing with injuries in the buildup but played significant minutes in Mexico's June 5 friendly against Serbia.
South Africa, currently ranked 60th in the world, returns to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 and has never advanced beyond the group stage. Coach Hugo Broos' preparations have faced several setbacks, and his side arrives in Mexico City having drawn 0-0 with Nicaragua and 1-1 with Jamaica in their final pre-tournament friendlies. Broos has said his team must be ready for "Mexico's quality and the force of the home crowd."
Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is the only player from either squad to have featured in both the 2010 and 2026 World Cups, though he was on the bench for the 2010 opener in Johannesburg.
An opening ceremony is scheduled 90 minutes before kickoff at the Azteca, headlined by Shakira, alongside Colombian performer J Balvin and South African artist Tyla.
Seven hours after the opening whistle in Mexico City, the second Group A fixture takes place, with South Korea facing Czechia. The top two teams from each group advance to the Round of 32.
