World Cup 2010 opening match between South Africa and Mexico on 11 June 2010 at Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg 

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on Thursday, 11 June, with Mexico facing South Africa in the tournament opener at Mexico City Stadium, a fixture that carries both symbolic weight and immediate group-stage importance. Kick-off is scheduled for 13:00 local time in the Mexican capital as the first match of an expanded 48-team World Cup spread across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

For Mexico, the occasion is bigger than simply launching a home tournament. El Tri will become the first nation to open a World Cup on home soil for a third time, and they do so under Javier Aguirre with the pressure and opportunity that come from starting the biggest event in their history in front of their own supporters. The setting should deliver a fierce atmosphere, and Mexico will expect that energy to drive an aggressive start against a South African side returning to the global stage for the first time since 2010.

That date matters here. Sixteen years ago, these same nations met in the opening match of the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg, when South Africa’s dream start was checked by a late Mexico equaliser in a 1-1 draw. The 2026 opener offers a neat reversal of that script: this time Mexico are the hosts, South Africa are the outsiders, and both arrive knowing that a strong result could shape the entire Group A race before Czechia and Korea Republic enter the picture.

South Africa, led by Hugo Broos, have already framed this tournament around organisation, discipline and the resilience that carried them back to the World Cup. Ronwen Williams is set to captain the side, with Teboho Mokoena expected to provide drive in midfield and Lyle Foster offering their main threat up front. Broos’ preliminary squad also includes a strong domestic core, with significant representation from Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, giving Bafana Bafana a settled base even as they prepare for the final 26-man submission on 2 June.

Mexico’s final squad will also be confirmed on 2 June, but the wider tournament picture already points to a side built around experience and high expectations. Playing at altitude in the capital may give Aguirre’s team an extra edge, especially in the opening stages, and Mexico will be conscious that an early win could calm nerves before facing Korea Republic and Czechia in their remaining group matches.

The broader opening week underlines the scale of what is coming. Korea Republic meet Czechia later on 11 June in the other Group A fixture, before Canada open against Bosnia and Herzegovina on 12 June and the United States begin against Paraguay later the same day. Yet the spotlight first belongs to Mexico City, where the tournament starts with a meeting rich in history and sharpened by expectation.

The opener rarely decides a World Cup, but it can set a tone that lasts deep into the month. Mexico will see this as a chance to ignite the competition and seize control of their group from the outset. South Africa will view it as an opportunity to disrupt the script and remind everyone that opening nights do not always belong to the hosts.