Forty-eight teams.Three host countries.
Sixteen stadiums.And 39 days long.
The 23rd edition of the men’s World Cup is finally here, with the opening ceremony taking place at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium today ahead of co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa.When Shakira and Burna Boy perform the official anthem “Dai Dai” at the ceremony, FIFA will no doubt be hoping that after a bumpy run-up to the competition, the world can finally start talking soccer.
Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.World Cup Match PreviewMexico — one of the three co-hosts with America and Canada — will bid to end its World Cup opening-day curse when it takes on South Africa in the tournament’s first game today at the recently renovated Azteca Stadium.It’s a repeat of the first game of the 2010 competition, in Johannesburg, which ended 1-1.That was a relative success for a nation that has repeatedly failed to win its opening game.
Coach Javier Aguirre told a news conference Wednesday: “We must break that trend.”Mexico's forward Raul Jimenez reaches for the ball during friendly match against Serbia in Toluca, Mexico on June 4, 2026.Mario Vazquez / AFP via Getty ImagesEl Tri enters the tournament buoyed by a run of warmup victories, and hoping veteran forward Raúl Jiménez can help fire them to glory on home soil.
Fans will also be pinning their hopes on midfielder Gilberto Mora, at 17 this World Cup’s youngest player and a potential breakout star.Mexico has only made it to the last eight twice, both times when it hosted the tournament, in 1970 and 1986.
Four years ago in Qatar, it didn’t make it out of the group stage.Aguirre will be up against a familiar foe in the opposition dugout: South Africa coach Hugo Broos was in the Belgium team that lost 2-1 against an El Tri side featuring Aguirre in 1986.
Broos has led South Africa to its first World Cup in 16 years.Son Heung-Min of South Korea cont...