The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins Thursday, with co-host Mexico facing South Africa at Mexico City Stadium in the first match of an expanded, 48-team tournament being staged across three countries for the first time.
An opening ceremony at the Mexico City venue precedes the match, which kicks off at 3 p.m. ET. The show features a lineup of Latin and international music acts, with Shakira headlining alongside Nigeria's Burna Boy for the debut of "Dai Dai," the tournament's official song. Performers also include J Balvin, Maná, Belinda, Los Ángeles Azules, Lila Downs, Alejandro Fernández and Danny Ocean, according to Al Jazeera and Today.
The venue, long known as Estadio Azteca and carrying a sponsor name for the tournament, becomes the first stadium to host matches at three World Cups, after 1970 and 1986. The opener is a rematch of the 2010 tournament's first game, when Mexico and South Africa drew 1-1. South Africa is returning to the World Cup for the first time since then.
A second Group A match follows later Thursday, with South Korea facing Czechia in Guadalajara at 10 p.m. ET. Co-hosts the United States and Canada open their campaigns Friday — the U.S. against Paraguay in Los Angeles and Canada against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto.
This year's tournament is the largest in World Cup history, with 48 teams playing 104 matches over 39 days, from June 11 to the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium near New York. The United States, Mexico and Canada are sharing hosting duties across 16 cities. Defending champion Argentina and five-time winner Brazil are among the favorites, while Jordan, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde and Curaçao are making their World Cup debuts.
The buildup has not been without friction. The tournament's opening has drawn attention to U.S. entry and visa policies, including the case of a Somali referee denied entry to the United States, and to plans for stepped-up immigration enforcement around venues. Mexico City's government said it planned to declare Thursday a local holiday to mark the kickoff.
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