After weeks of build-up, World Cup 2026 has finally arrived and will be kickstarted with a bang as a glitzy opening ceremony in Mexico City is followed by the first match of the tournament – Mexico v South Africa.
Music icons Shakira and Burna Boy will headline a star-studded opening ceremony at Estadio Azteca – the first of three at the tournament, with the US and Canada also hosting their own ceremonies tomorrow.
Once the stage has been removed and the confetti cleared, attention will turn to the on-pitch action with a Mexico side led by Javier Aguirre and harbouring hopes of a deep run on home soil taking on Group A underdogs South Africa, who are at the World Cup for the first time since hosting in 2010.
In that tournament, this exact fixture was also the opening contest and Siphiwe Tshabalala sent home fans wild with a 55th-minute goal before Rafael Marquez grabbed a 79th-minute equaliser to spare Mexican blushes. Will we be in for a repeat this evening?
Follow all the action from the opening ceremony before co-hosts Mexico face South Africa below:
Group A guide
As Mexico raises the curtain on this World Cup against South Africa, Alan Smith delves into all things Group A:
In one of the most evocative stadiums of all and under a searing afternoon sun, the World Cup will finally begin when Mexico face South Africa. And, for many, all the justifiable gripes with a bloated format, price gouging and political manoeuvring may instantly disappear following the first glimpse of the Azteca on their TV screens.
The co-hosts, on paper, should find this group – also joined by South Korea and Czech Republic – straightforward but the outstanding question is how they will cope with the pressure and an opening day win against the least heralded of this quartet appears a must.
World Cup set for three star-studded opening ceremonies – but do not expect a Super Bowl-style extravanganza
This World Cup is set to make history with an unprecedented trio of star-studded opening ceremonies across its host nations: the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Orchestrating these grand spectacles is Italian producer Marco Balich, renowned for his work on this year’s Milan Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony.
Each ceremony will feature top artistic performances designed to tap into the national identity, though Balich clarified that spectators should not anticipate a Super Bowl-style halftime extravaganza.
Instead, the events will blend welcoming speeches, a parade of flags, the presentation of the match ball, and approximately 30 minutes of musical entertainment. “It’s a celebration of football, Fifa and the fact that, thanks to soccer, people get together in peace and harmony,” Balich affirmed.
What to expect from Mexico’s opening ceremony
This World Cup has three opening ceremonies lined up (because of course it does…) and the first of those is ahead of the opening match this evening.
Mexico will get World Cup proceedings underway with their opening ceremony at 6:30pm BST.
Held at Mexico City Stadium, better known worldwide as the Estadio Azteca, the ceremony will take place ahead of the Group A clash between Mexico and South Africa, a repeat of the clash that raised the curtain on the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg.
Shakira and Burna Boy are poised to headline the spectacle, performing the official tournament song, Dai Dai. Additional performers include Alejandro Fernandez, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Angeles Azules, Mana, and Tyla.
So if any of those artists are your cup of tea, then, erm… enjoy!
World Cup 2026 opening ceremony
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the opening ceremony from World Cup 2026 and then the first game of the tournament – Mexico v South Africa.
From Shakira to Raul Jimenez, the next eight hours or so promises to have everything as the world’s biggest sporting event kicks off.
Stick with us for it all
