The tournament finally opens at the Estadio Azteca, full to capacity
At the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City — one of football's most hallowed grounds — the 2026 FIFA World Cup opens today, bringing together three nations as co-hosts for the first time in the tournament's history. After months of political uncertainty and logistical strain, the ceremony and the opening match between Mexico and South Africa mark the moment when preparation yields to play. Across six weeks and 104 matches, the tournament will trace a vast arc through North America, carrying with it the weight of human aspiration that only sport on this scale can hold.
- Political turbulence and visa complications cast a long shadow over preparations, leaving teams, officials, and fans navigating uncertainty right up to the opening day.
- The Estadio Azteca fills to capacity, its storied stands absorbing the tension of a tournament that nearly stumbled before it could begin.
- A hemisphere's worth of artists — from Shakira and J Balvin to Burna Boy and Tyla — transform the opening ceremony into a declaration that this World Cup belongs to many cultures at once.
- Three separate opening ceremonies across Mexico, Canada, and the United States signal the unprecedented scale of a tournament stretched across an entire continent.
- With 104 matches running through July 20, the machinery of the world's largest sporting event is now in motion, and the complications of the lead-up give way to the irreversible fact of kickoff.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup opens today at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, a stadium that has witnessed some of football's most defining moments and now hosts the first match of a 104-game tournament stretching across North America until mid-July. Mexico faces South Africa in front of a full house — every seat taken, every complication of the preceding months temporarily set aside.
Before the match, a ceremony unfolds that reads like a map of the hemisphere's musical culture. Alejandro Fernández, the celebrated ranchero singer known as El Potrillo, performs Mexico's national anthem. He is followed by a roster that includes Belinda, Burna Boy, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná, and Shakira. South Africa's Tyla sings Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, bridging the two nations about to meet on the pitch.
This is the first of three opening ceremonies — Canada and the United States will hold their own events the following day — reflecting the unprecedented nature of a World Cup shared across three co-host nations. The road to this moment was not smooth: political complications threatened the tournament's footing for months, and visa processing created anxiety for travelers across the continent. Ticket resales told their own story of demand straining against distribution.
ABC Sport will carry live coverage of every match through to the July 20 final in the New York and New Jersey area, with reporters embedded across the continent — including Amanda Shalala in Mexico City and a team traveling alongside the Australian national side.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has arrived. After months of political turbulence, weeks of visa complications, and countless ticket transactions, the tournament finally opens today at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The stadium sits full—there will be no empty seats when Mexico takes the field against South Africa in the opening match, the first of 104 games that will stretch across North America until mid-July.
Before the teams play, the ceremony will unfold with a roster of artists drawn from across the hemisphere. Alejandro Fernández, the ranchero singer known to his audience as El Potrillo and one of the best-selling Latin artists in history, will perform Mexico's national anthem. The stage will then host Belinda, Burna Boy, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná, and Shakira in a sequence designed to celebrate the tournament's cultural moment. Ryan Castro will join J Balvin for a special performance. From South Africa, Tyla—the country's pop sensation—will sing Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, the national anthem.
This opening ceremony in Mexico City is the first of three. Canada and the United States will each host their own ceremonial events tomorrow, marking the first World Cup to span three nations as co-hosts. The Azteca, one of football's most storied venues, will anchor the Mexican portion of the tournament.
The path to this moment has been uncertain. Political complications threatened the tournament's stability in the months leading up to today. Visa processing created last-minute anxiety for teams, officials, and supporters traveling to North America. The secondary market for tickets has been brisk, with resales reflecting both the demand and the logistical challenges of distributing access across three countries.
ABC Sport will provide live coverage of all 104 matches from the opening game through the final on July 20, which will be played in the New York and New Jersey area. A reporting team is positioned across the continent: David Mark and Tom Wildie are traveling with the Australian national team, while Amanda Shalala is in Mexico City for today's opener. The coverage will extend beyond the pitch, capturing the tournament's movement across three nations over the next six weeks.
Citações Notáveis
After months of political uncertainty, days of visa worries and a small fortune's worth of ticket resales, the FIFA World Cup 2026 has finally arrived.— ABC Sport coverage
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does it matter that this World Cup is spread across three countries instead of one?
It changes everything about how the tournament feels. Fans have to travel differently. Teams face jet lag in ways they wouldn't if it was all in one place. And politically, it's a statement—three nations sharing the stage together.
The source mentions political uncertainty. What was that about?
The document doesn't detail it, but the fact that it's mentioned at all tells you the tournament's existence wasn't guaranteed. Something threatened to derail it before we got here.
Why put Shakira and J Balvin on the same stage as Burna Boy and Tyla?
It's deliberate. You're looking at Latin American superstars alongside African artists. The ceremony is saying something about who this tournament belongs to—not just Mexico, but the whole region, and the world watching.
The Azteca won't have empty seats. Why is that significant?
Because it's not guaranteed at every stadium in a World Cup. This one will be packed. That's a statement about Mexico's hunger for this moment, and the tournament's ability to fill a stadium when the home team plays.
What's the pressure like for Mexico in that opening match?
They're playing in front of a full house in their own stadium. That's both an advantage and a weight. South Africa is the opponent, but the real pressure is on Mexico to deliver in front of their own people on day one.