The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off with Mexico hosting South Africa in Group A for the tournament’s opening match tonight at 10 PM Cairo Time at Mexico City Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico.
The matchup is a rematch of the 2010 FIFA World Cup opener in South Africa, played exactly 16 years after the two sides drew 1-1 in Johannesburg.
It marks the first time a World Cup opening fixture has ever been repeated among the tournament’s previous single-match openers.
Mexico will participate in its 18th FIFA World Cup and will make history as it becomes the first nation to host the men’s World Cup three times.
It will also become the first nation to host the tournament’s opening match on three occasions. The nation’s best World Cup performances also came on home soil, reaching the quarterfinals in both 1970 and 1986.
The 2026 co-hosts will also look to continue their strong record in World Cup openers, having gone unbeaten in their last seven opening matches with five wins and two draws.
Manager Javier Aguirre, who is leading Mexico for a third World Cup after stints in 2002 and 2010, has selected an experienced squad. Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is set to appear in a historic sixth World Cup, while captain Edson Álvarez arrives after winning Best Player honors at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. Raúl Jiménez, the top scorer at the 2025 Concacaf Nations League Finals, also headlines the roster.
The reigning Gold Cup champions additionally include 17-year-old Gilberto Mora, who enters his first World Cup as the tournament’s youngest player.
South Africa will make its fourth FIFA World Cup appearance and its first since hosting the tournament in 2010. The Bafana Bafana secured qualification for this World Cup by winning Group C of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) qualifiers, clinching the top spot in the group on the final matchday with a pivotal 3-nil win at home against Rwanda.
