Mexico vs. South Africa to Open 2026 World Cup in Mexico City

Mexico and South Africa will kick off the 2026 World Cup on Thursday, June 11, at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The match is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET, initiating the first match of Group A in the expanded 48-team tournament.

Mexico, one of the three host nations, enters the tournament as the top seed in Group A. Playing all its group stage matches in Mexico provides a significant logistical advantage. Coach Javier Aguirre aims for a historic World Cup run, with an opening victory on home turf seen as a crucial first step.

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South Africa returns to the World Cup for the first time since hosting in 2010. Known as Bafana Bafana, the team presents a more defensively solid squad than in previous appearances. Their goal is to prove they can compete with higher-ranked teams like Mexico, who are 15th in the FIFA rankings compared to South Africa's 60th.

This opening match mirrors the 2010 World Cup opener, where Mexico and South Africa drew 1-1 in Johannesburg. Coincidentally, Javier Aguirre was also the coach for Mexico in that match. The group stage continues later that day with South Korea facing Czechia in Guadalajara.

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