The biggest World Cup in history begins on Thursday, and it starts where so much football history has been written. Co-hosts Mexico face South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in the opening match, a rematch of the 2010 curtain-raiser and the first game of a 48-team tournament spread across three nations. Mexico, unbeaten through 2026, begin as favourites in front of a home crowd.
A rematch with history
There is a neat symmetry to the fixture. The last time these sides met to open a World Cup, in 2010, it finished 1-1 in Johannesburg, with Siphiwe Tshabalala scoring the tournament's first goal before Rafael Marquez equalised for Mexico. Sixteen years on, the roles are reversed and Mexico are the hosts rather than the visitors, opening a tournament they once helped launch on the road.
The venue carries its own weight. With this tournament, Mexico becomes the first nation to host the men's World Cup three times, after 1970 and 1986. The Azteca staged both of those finals, two of the most storied nights the sport has produced, and it now opens a third World Cup. Few grounds anywhere can match it for occasion, and a sell-out crowd will expect the hosts to set the tone for their tournament from the first whistle.
Mexico's expectation
Mexico arrive in form. Javier Aguirre's side are unbeaten in 2026, having scored 15 goals and conceded just two for a goal difference of plus 13, and they carry the expectation that comes with hosting.
Aguirre framed the build-up as a long road that has left him with options. "We've been preparing for 22 months, and I don't think choosing the final roster was easy. There were a lot of setbacks along the way, 12 injured players, but beyond the result, I think we're on the rise," he told Sports Mole. "We're arriving in good shape, in good spirits, we've recovered players, and we're reaching this moment in a good place. The 26 players give me a wide range of possibilities. I don't feel that we have weaknesses or difficulties in any position."
Much of the attention falls on Raul Jimenez, who is chasing a first World Cup start. The forward scored all four of Mexico's goals in the CONCACAF Nations League Final Four and added nine for his country across 2025, form that has put him at the centre of the hosts' plans. His story carries an extra edge given the serious head injury he suffered with Wolves in 2020, against Arsenal at the Emirates, and the long road back from it. Opening a home World Cup as the focal point of the attack is the kind of moment that once looked far from guaranteed.
Around him, the experience of Guillermo Ochoa and Edson Alvarez gives Mexico a familiar spine for a night that demands composure as much as quality. Aguirre's point about depth matters here too: a 26-man squad with cover in every position lets him manage a long tournament rather than lean on a small core, and after 12 injuries during the build-up, that breadth is hard-earned.
South Africa's return
South Africa arrive as the underdogs, but they have earned their place. Bafana Bafana qualified with 18 points from 10 matches despite a three-point deduction, a record that speaks to their consistency through the campaign. Lyle Foster leads a side that will look to frustrate the hosts and quiet the Azteca early.
For South Africa, simply being back on this stage is significant after years away, and the expanded 48-team format has widened the door for nations that have struggled to reach previous tournaments. They will not be favoured against Mexico, but an opening match offers the kind of occasion in which an underdog can make a mark.
The tournament that follows
Beyond the opener, the scale is unprecedented. The 2026 World Cup runs to 104 games over 39 days, hosted across Canada, Mexico and the United States, before the final in New Jersey on 19 July. It is the first World Cup shared by three countries and the first with 48 teams, a format that brings more nations and more matches than any edition before it.
The expanded field changes the texture of the group stage. More places mean more first-timers and more sides that would have missed previous tournaments, which widens the range of possible stories well beyond the usual contenders. It also means more football packed into the calendar, with the group stage alone carrying far more fixtures than fans are used to before the knockout rounds even begin.
For the favourites, the early matches are about rhythm rather than survival, while for the newcomers the group stage is the stage itself. That mix is part of what the 48-team format was designed to deliver, and the opening days in Mexico, Canada and the United States will be the first test of how it feels in practice.
What the opener sets up
That makes Thursday a tone-setter rather than a decisive night. Mexico want to start their home tournament with control and send the Azteca home happy, while South Africa want to show that the widened field has not diluted the competition. Neither result will define anyone's tournament, but a host nation rarely gets a better chance to settle nerves and announce itself.
The ball rolls first in Mexico City, at a stadium that has opened World Cups and staged finals before. From there a 39-day tournament across a continent begins to take shape, and the questions that have dominated the build-up start to be answered on the pitch.
FAQ
Who plays in the 2026 World Cup opening match?
Co-hosts Mexico face South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in the opening match on Thursday. It is a rematch of the 2010 World Cup opener, which finished 1-1 in Johannesburg. Mexico, unbeaten through 2026, start as favourites in front of a home crowd.
Why is the Estadio Azteca significant for the 2026 World Cup?
By hosting in 2026, Mexico becomes the first nation to stage the men's World Cup three times, after 1970 and 1986. The Estadio Azteca hosted both of those finals and now opens a third tournament, making it one of the most storied venues in the sport.
How big is the 2026 World Cup?
It is the biggest World Cup ever: 48 teams play 104 games over 39 days, hosted jointly by Canada, Mexico and the United States. The opening match is in Mexico City and the final is in New Jersey on 19 July. It is the first World Cup shared by three countries and the first with 48 teams.
What is Raul Jimenez's form going into the World Cup?
Jimenez is chasing a first World Cup start. He scored all four of Mexico's goals in the CONCACAF Nations League Final Four and added nine for his country across 2025. His form comes years after the serious head injury he suffered with Wolves against Arsenal in 2020.
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