The biggest football event of the four-year cycle, the 2026 FIFA World Cup, kicks off today in Mexico City.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the tournament will be held across three countries for the first time in history – the United States, Canada and Mexico. The new format featuring 48 teams and 104 matches makes this World Cup the largest ever staged.
The official opening ceremony will take place at Mexico City Stadium, the venue known throughout the football world as the legendary Azteca Stadium. The show will begin 90 minutes before kick-off – at 9:30 p.m. Baku time. The opening match between Mexico and South Africa is scheduled to start at 11:00 p.m. Baku time.
The ceremony in Mexico City will be the first chapter of a unique trilogy of opening celebrations, with Canada and the United States also hosting special pre-match shows before their respective national teams begin their campaigns. The Mexican segment will focus on football, music and national culture. A central element of the visual presentation will be papel picado, the traditional Mexican art of decorative paper cutting often associated with festive celebrations.
The ceremony's headline performers will be Shakira and Burna Boy, who are set to perform the official World Cup 2026 anthem, Dai Dai, for the first time. The lineup also includes Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla. According to FIFA, fans inside the stadium will play an active role in the opening festivities, and spectators have been advised to arrive early.
The evening also carries special symbolism because of the venue itself. Azteca is one of the most iconic stadiums in football history. Opened in 1966, it previously hosted the 1970 and 1986 FIFA World Cups. It was here that Brazil, led by Pele, defeated Italy in the 1970 final, and where Argentina, inspired by Diego Maradona, won the 1986 World Cup by beating West Germany.
The stadium was also the setting for two of the most famous goals in football history. During the 1986 quarter-final against England, Maradona scored the controversial "Hand of God" goal before producing a remarkable solo effort that was later voted one of the greatest goals ever scored.
Now Azteca is set to make history once again. It will become the first stadium to host matches at three different FIFA World Cups and the first venue ever to stage the opening match of the tournament for a third time. The World Cups of 1970 and 1986 also began here.
Opening matches have often produced unforgettable moments throughout World Cup history. In 1930, French forward Lucien Laurent scored the first goal ever recorded at a FIFA World Cup – against Mexico. In 1990, Cameroon stunned defending champions Argentina with a 1-0 victory, while Senegal famously defeated France by the same scoreline in 2002. Germany and Costa Rica delivered one of the most entertaining opening games in 2006, ending 4-2, while Russia crushed Saudi Arabia 5-0 in 2018.
Today's encounter also carries its own historical connection. Mexico and South Africa previously met in the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg. On that occasion, the hosts and Mexico played out a 1-1 draw. The match is remembered for Siphiwe Tshabalala's spectacular opening goal and Rafael Marquez's equaliser.
Mexico hold the advantage in the overall head-to-head record. The teams have met four times, with Mexico winning twice, South Africa once, and one match ending in a draw. Mexico claimed victories by 4-0 in 1993 and 4-2 in 2000, while South Africa won 2-1 in 2005. Their most recent meeting was the 1-1 draw at the 2010 World Cup.
From a sporting perspective, the match is hugely important for both sides. Mexico will enjoy home support but will also face immense pressure from expectations. Javier Aguirre's team enter the tournament as favourites, yet occasions like this require not only quality but also emotional resilience. Aguirre knows the atmosphere of a home World Cup better than most – he was a player at the 1986 tournament and now returns as head coach of the national team.
South Africa arrive as underdogs, but Hugo Broos' side hopes to turn that status into an advantage. The team travelled to Mexico well in advance to adapt to the altitude and views the opening match as a crucial step in its quest to reach the knockout stage. South Korea and the Czech Republic complete Group A.
As a result, the World Cup begins with a match that brings together history, symbolism and enormous expectations. And today, Mexico City becomes the first capital of football's great summer spectacle.
