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Mexico hosts South Africa in opening match as World Cup begins
🇺🇸 United States /Sports

Mexico hosts South Africa in opening match as World Cup begins

From PBS NewsHour · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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  • The 2026 World Cup, the largest in tournament history, began with co-host Mexico playing South Africa in Mexico City.
  • The iconic Azteca Stadium, which hosted previous World Cup openers in 1970 and 1986, received renovations for the 48-team event.
  • Mexico entered the match on an eight-game unbeaten streak under coach Javier Aguirre, while South Africa made its first World Cup appearance since 2010.

The 2026 World Cup, the largest in its history, commenced Thursday with co-host Mexico facing South Africa in a highly anticipated opening match. Despite escalating protests and social tensions in Mexico City, over 80,000 fans gathered at the historic Azteca Stadium.

Azteca Stadium, a legendary venue, is making history as the first stadium to host three World Cup opening matches, having previously done so in 1970 and 1986. The stadium underwent significant renovations to prepare for the expanded 48-team tournament, which Mexico is co-hosting with the United States and Canada.

Mexico entered the opening game with a strong record, boasting an eight-match unbeaten streak since November. The national team is managed by veteran coach Javier Aguirre, in his third tenure with the squad. For South Africa, this marks their return to the World Cup stage after hosting the tournament in 2010, having also participated in the 1998 and 2002 editions.

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Originally published by PBS NewsHour. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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