Mexico vs. South Africa prediction: Odds, picks, best bet for World Cup opener

Four years of waiting are over; the 2026 World Cup is about to commence.Mexico, one of the co-hosts along with the United States and Canada, will take on South Africa in the tournament’s curtain-raiser at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City at 3 p.m.ET on Thursday.This is a rematch of the 2010 World Cup opener, played in South Africa.

Guillermo ‘Memo’ Ochoa was the starting goalkeeper for Mexico in that match.Sixteen years later, he is about to embark on his sixth World Cup in 2026.El Tri are hefty -260 favorites to get off the blocks with a win at FanDuel Sportsbook.Although El Tri has been the most successful team in CONCACAF during this cycle with two Gold Cups and a triumph at the 2024 CONCACAF Nations League, expectations are lukewarm for Mexico ahead of the World Cup.Part of the tepid projections stems from Mexico’s tactical approach.

Now in his third stint with the national team, Javier Aguirre leans on pragmatism more than pizzazz and will have his team set up not to concede goals rather than to create them.In a big-picture sense, this tactical setup makes sense.It plays into Mexico’s strength — a sturdy defense — while providing some cover for an offense that lacks the game-breaking talent that the heavyweights in this tournament possess.If they go up against the likes of France, Argentina, or Spain, Mexico will be tough to break down.

But on the other hand, they’re not built to pick apart inferior opponents, such as South Africa.Bafana Bafana will come into their first World Cup since 2010 as a relative unknown, but they have a couple of important things going for them.Most importantly, they have a clear identity.That identity shone through during qualifying, as South Africa was able to top their group ahead of Nigeria despite the fact that they had a win reversed due to a clerical error.Because South Africa’s roster is made up mostly of players from their domestic league, there will be questions about the talent level, but Bafan...