2026 FIFA World Cup Kicks Off Thursday: Mexico vs South Africa in Historic 48-Team Tournament

By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. | adeyemi@ddnewsonline.com
Editor, DDNews |

The 2026 FIFA World Cup officially begins on Thursday, June 11, with co-hosts Mexico facing South Africa in the opening match at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

This edition is historic as it features 48 teams for the first time, expanding from the previous 32-team format. Africa will be represented by a record 10 nations, raising hopes of a strong continental performance.

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The opening fixture between Mexico and South Africa carries special significance, as the two teams also met in the first game of the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa.

Full Group Stage Fixtures (All times in GMT)

Thursday, June 11
Mexico City: Mexico vs South Africa (19:00)
Guadalajara: South Korea vs Czech Republic (02:00 Friday)

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Friday, June 12
Toronto: Canada vs Bosnia-Herzegovina (19:00)
Los Angeles: United States vs Paraguay (01:00 Saturday)

Saturday, June 13
Santa Clara: Qatar vs Switzerland (19:00)
East Rutherford: Brazil vs Morocco (22:00)
Foxborough: Haiti vs Scotland (01:00 Sunday)
Vancouver: Australia vs Turkey (04:00 Sunday)

Sunday, June 14
Houston: Germany vs Curacao (17:00)
Arlington: Netherlands vs Japan (20:00)
Philadelphia: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador (23:00)
Monterrey: Sweden vs Tunisia (02:00 Monday)

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Monday, June 15
Atlanta: Spain vs Cape Verde (16:00)
Seattle: Belgium vs Egypt (19:00)
Miami: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay (22:00)
Los Angeles: Iran vs New Zealand (01:00 Tuesday)

Tuesday, June 16
East Rutherford: France vs Senegal (19:00)
Foxborough: Iraq vs Norway (22:00)
Kansas City: Argentina vs Algeria (01:00 Wednesday)
Santa Clara: Austria vs Jordan (04:00 Wednesday)

Wednesday, June 17
Houston: Portugal vs DR Congo (17:00)
Arlington: England vs Croatia (20:00)
Toronto: Ghana vs Panama (23:00)
Mexico City: Uzbekistan vs Colombia (02:00 Thursday)

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Thursday, June 18
Atlanta: Czech Republic vs South Africa (16:00)
Los Angeles: Switzerland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina (19:00)
Vancouver: Canada vs Qatar (22:00)
Guadalajara: Mexico vs South Korea (01:00 Friday)

Friday, June 19
Seattle: USA vs Australia (19:00)
Foxborough: Scotland vs Morocco (22:00)
Philadelphia: Brazil vs Haiti (00:30 Saturday)
Santa Clara: Turkey vs Paraguay (03:00 Saturday)

Saturday, June 20
Houston: Netherlands vs Sweden (17:00)
Toronto: Germany vs Ivory Coast (20:00)
Kansas City: Ecuador vs Curacao (00:00 Sunday)
Monterrey: Tunisia vs Japan (04:00 Sunday)

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Sunday, June 21
Atlanta: Spain vs Saudi Arabia (16:00)
Los Angeles: Belgium vs Iran (19:00)
Miami: Uruguay vs Cape Verde (22:00)
Vancouver: New Zealand vs Egypt (01:00 Monday)

Monday, June 22
Arlington: Argentina vs Austria (17:00)
Philadelphia: France vs Iraq (21:00)
East Rutherford: Norway vs Senegal (00:00 Tuesday)
Santa Clara: Jordan vs Algeria (03:00 Tuesday)

Tuesday, June 23
Houston: Portugal vs Uzbekistan (17:00)
Foxborough: England vs Ghana (20:00)
Toronto: Panama vs Croatia (23:00)
Guadalajara: Colombia vs DR Congo (02:00 Wednesday)

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Wednesday, June 24
Vancouver: Switzerland vs Canada (19:00)
Seattle: Bosnia vs Qatar (19:00)
Atlanta: Morocco vs Haiti (22:00)
Miami: Scotland vs Brazil (22:00)
Mexico City: Czech Republic vs Mexico (01:00 Thursday)
Monterrey: South Africa vs South Korea (01:00 Thursday)

Thursday, June 25
Philadelphia: Curacao vs Ivory Coast (20:00)
East Rutherford: Ecuador vs Germany (20:00)
Arlington: Japan vs Sweden (23:00)
Kansas City: Tunisia vs Netherlands (23:00)
Santa Clara: Paraguay vs Australia (02:00 Friday)
Los Angeles: Turkey vs USA (02:00 Friday)

Friday, June 26
Toronto: Senegal vs Iraq (19:00)
Foxborough: Norway vs France (19:00)
Guadalajara: Uruguay vs Spain (00:00 Saturday)
Houston: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia (00:00 Saturday)
Vancouver: New Zealand vs Belgium (03:00 Saturday)
Seattle: Egypt vs Iran (03:00 Saturday)

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Saturday, June 27
Philadelphia: Croatia vs Ghana (21:00)
East Rutherford: Panama vs England (21:00)
Atlanta: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan (23:30)
Miami: Colombia vs Portugal (23:30)
Arlington: Jordan vs Argentina (02:00 Sunday)
Kansas City: Algeria vs Austria (02:00 Sunday)

The knockout stages begin on June 28, with the final scheduled for Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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