DREAMS, PASSION AND PROWESS TAKE THE FIELD

Co-hosts Mexico will raise the curtain on the biggest-ever World Cup when the first match of the 104-game extravaganza kicks off with their Group A meeting against South Africa

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The wait is over. Almost eight years to the day that Canada, Mexico and US were appointed co-hosts of the FIFA World Cup 2026, this record-breaking global showpiece kicks off on Thursday.

The opening match will see hosts Mexico take on South Africa in Group A at the Estadio Azteca, marking the start of the largest edition of the tournament since its inception in 1930.

Hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico, the tournament will feature a record 48 national teams competing in a total of 104 games.

As excitement reaches fever pitch around the globe, Mexico finds itself firmly in the spotlight. El Tri will shoulder the hopes of a nation when they take on South Africa, the team they faced at the same stage of the tournament in 2010, in a high-stakes Opening Match.

The focus will then shift to Guadalajara, where Asia and Europe are represented as South Korea do battle with a Czech Republic, who are still on a high from their success in the UEFA play-offs.

The Group A clash marks a return to the World Cup stage for the iconic venue that hosted matches in 1970 and 1986, while also reviving memories of the 2010 tournament opener, when South Africa held Mexico to a 1-1 draw in Johannesburg.