The wait is finally over as the 2026 World Cup officially begins tonight, with co-hosts Mexico facing South Africa in the tournament curtain-raiser.
It is a repeat of the opening match from 2010, when Siphiwe Tshabalala fired home one of the more memorable goals in recent World Cup history to give tournament hosts Bafana Bafana a lead that was later cancelled out by Rafael Marquez in a 1-1 draw in Johannesburg.
16 years later and - following the first of three opening ceremonies - the two nations prepare to kick off the biggest show in football once more, having not met since, but this time Mexico will have crucial home advantage at the imposing and high-altitude Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Javier Aguirre’s side will be desperate to get off to a flying start in a Group A that also contains South Korea and the Czech Republic, with El Tri having flattered to deceive on the biggest stages of late and failed to reach the knockout rounds in Qatar four years ago as well as at the 2024 Copa America.
For South Africa, this will be the first time they have successfully reached the World Cup through qualification since 2002 in Japan and South Korea.
They have not made it past the group stage on any of their previous three appearances, including on home soil, and were ousted by Cameroon in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco earlier this year.
How to watch Mexico vs South Africa
TV channel: In the UK, the 2026 World Cup opener between Mexico and South Africa is available to watch live and free-to-air on ITV. Coverage gets under way at 6:15pm BST on ITV1, ahead of an 8pm BST kick-off (1pm local time) at Estadio Azteca.
The opening ceremony is due to begin at approximately 6:30pm BST. Mexico’s fellow co-hosts Canada and the USA will also stage individual opening ceremonies ahead of their first matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Paraguay, respectively.
Live stream: The match will also be broadcast live online via the ITVX website and app, which is free with a registration.
Live blog: Follow the World Cup opening ceremony and Thursday night’s first game with Standard Sport’s live blog.
