World Cup 2026 Kicks Off as Mexico Face South Africa at Estadio Azteca

11 Jun 2026

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins Thursday at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca, where co-hosts Mexico face South Africa in a repeat of the 2010 tournament's opening match. The iconic venue becomes the first stadium ever to stage three World Cup opening games. Javier Aguirre's side enter the match unbeaten in eight games and are favourites in front of more than 80,000 fans, but the hosts are under heavy pressure to deliver a winning start to the biggest World Cup in history.