After four years of waiting, the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off today, with the biggest and most expanded edition of the tournament in history. For the first time, 48 nations compete across three host countries — the United States, Mexico, and Canada — playing 104 games over 39 days, with the final scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Opening day delivers two Group A matches, and both carry genuine stakes for every team involved.
Mexico vs. South Africa
Kickoff is at 3:00 p.m. ET at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Predicted score: Mexico 2, South Africa 0. The Azteca becomes the first stadium in history to stage three World Cup openers, having previously hosted the 1970 and 1986 editions, and Mexico step onto that turf as co-hosts carrying the hopes of an entire nation. The atmosphere will be unlike anything else in world sport on Thursday afternoon.
Mexico arrives on an eight-match unbeaten run, posting six wins and two draws through a demanding slate of friendlies that included victories over Ghana and Australia and a commanding 5-1 result against Serbia. Striker Raúl Jiménez, who posted nine Premier League goals for Fulham this season, leads the attack as the team’s primary threat and penalty taker.
Mexico City sits at roughly 2,250 meters above sea level, and the altitude rewards teams that train and live with it. South Africa arrive largely from sea-level domestic football and European leagues, creating a genuine physical challenge before the tactical battle even begins.
Sportsbooks list Mexico as a strong favorite, and analysts lean toward a relatively controlled, lower-scoring affair. Six of Mexico’s last seven matches produced fewer than three total goals, which points toward a composed rather than a spectacular victory. The expected outcome is a two-goal Mexico win, with South Africa creating occasional danger on the counter without threatening consistently across 90 minutes.
South Korea vs. Czechia
Kickoff is at 10:00 p.m. ET at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara. Predicted score: South Korea 1, Czechia 1. The second match of opening day is arguably the most strategically important fixture on the entire slate. With Mexico the clear favorites to advance from Group A, this clash will go a long way toward deciding who controls their own path to the knockout rounds. The team that loses here faces a must-win situation in its next match — a far more difficult position at a tournament of this magnitude.
South Korea make their 12th World Cup appearance, more than any other Asian nation in the history of the competition. Son Heung-min leads the squad in what is widely expected to be his final World Cup, and the Koreans were an offensive force in qualifying, scoring 40 goals while conceding just eight across the campaign.
Czechia return after a 20-year absence, having earned their place through two consecutive penalty-shootout victories in the playoff rounds. Their set-piece threat is among the most dangerous in the competition, with 11 of their 22 qualifying goals coming directly from dead-ball situations.
The betting markets on this match are about as balanced as any on opening day, with both sides listed at nearly identical odds, reflecting how closely matched analysts and traders believe the two teams to be. The most likely outcome is a tight, well-organized contest ending one goal apiece, with both sides avoiding the kind of defeat that would instantly complicate the rest of their group stage.
How to watch
Mexico vs. South Africa airs on FOX in English; South Korea vs. Czechia airs on FS1. Telemundo carries both matches in Spanish. The 2026 World Cup is finally here — and it begins in Mexico City.
