The Estadio Azteca roared with emotion as the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on Thursday, June 11. The 2026 tournament marks the first World Cup to be hosted by three nations: the United States, Canada and México.
The opening ceremony began at approximately 11:30 p.m. CT at México’s historic Estadio Azteca. The event featured performances by stars such as Shakira, J Balvin and Maná, who energized a crowd of more than 80,000 fans. In addition to the musical performances, the ceremony showcased México’s rich cultural heritage and highlighted the World Cup’s unique ability to unite nations, even during times of conflict.
The tournament’s opening match featured host nation México against South Africa. From start to finish, México maintained an aggressive high press against Bafana Bafana. Recently naturalized forward Julián Quiñones opened the scoring in the 10th minute following a successful team press.
México continued to dominate throughout the match, controlling 61 percent of possession and recording more than 15 shots on goal. As the game wore on, South Africa gradually lost its composure and received two red cards. Reduced to nine men, South Africa found itself under constant pressure and conceded again in the 67th minute when striker Raúl Jiménez headed the ball into the net.
The match ended 2–0 in favor of México, giving the host nation an important first victory and a strong start to its World Cup campaign.
Later that day, South Korea faced Czechia at Guadalajara’s Akron Stadium. Both sides began the match cautiously, looking for ways to break through their opponent’s defense. After a tightly contested first half, Czechia opened the scoring in the 59th minute and appeared to be in control of the match.
South Korea responded well to the setback and gradually took control of the game. Midfielder Hwang In-beom led the comeback, scoring the equalizer before setting up a teammate for the winning goal. Thanks to his impressive performance, the Taegeuk Warriors secured a hard-fought 2–1 victory and began their World Cup campaign on a positive note.
