By Jeremiah Gora
The 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway tonight as hosts Mexico take on South Africa in the opening match at the iconic Estadio Azteca.
The fixture marks a repeat of the 2010 World Cup opener between the two nations, which ended in a 1-1 draw in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Mexico enters the tournament as one of three host nations alongside the United States and Canada.
The tournament also marks a historic milestone for Mexico, becoming the first country to host the FIFA World Cup three times after staging the event in 1970 and 1986.
Led by veteran coach Javier Aguirre, who is overseeing his third World Cup campaign with El Tri, Mexico heads into the tournament in strong form, having gone unbeaten in its last eight matches.
The hosts will be looking to secure their first-ever victory in a World Cup opening match.
Captain Edson Álvarez is expected to marshal the midfield, while experienced striker Raúl Jiménez will spearhead the attack.
Teenage midfielder Gilberto Mora could also make history by becoming Mexico’s youngest player to appear at a World Cup.
South Africa returns to football’s biggest stage for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010.
Bafana Bafana, under Belgian coach Hugo Broos, are aiming to advance beyond the group stage for the first time in their history.
Broos, who has indicated that the tournament will be his final assignment with the national team, has assembled a largely home-based squad featuring captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, midfielder Teboho Mokoena and forward Lyle Foster.
South Africa enters the tournament seeking to improve on recent performances after failing to register a victory in its last five international matches.
The two teams have met four times previously, with Mexico recording two victories, South Africa one, while one match ended in a draw.
Group A also includes South Korea and the Czech Republic, with the top two teams progressing to the knockout stages of the expanded 48-team tournament.
Kick-off is scheduled for 9pm South African time.
