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Mexico Kicks Off World Cup 2026 at Home
10 Jun
Summary
- Mexico begins World Cup 2026 at Estadio Azteca on June 11.
- El Tri seeks first-ever World Cup opening match win.
- The team has played in eight opening matches historically.
Mexico is set to host and open the 2026 FIFA World Cup, commencing the tournament on June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. This historic event marks the eighth time the Mexican national team, El Tri, has had the honor of kicking off the World Cup, more than any other nation. Their opening match will be against South Africa, a rematch of the 2010 World Cup opener.
Despite their extensive history of opening matches, Mexico has never secured a victory in their tournament debut. Historically, their opening games have concluded in draws or losses. Ahead of the main tournament, Mexico will play friendly matches against Australia on May 30 in Pasadena, California, and Serbia on June 4 in Toluca, Mexico, to finalize their squad.
As one of the three host nations, Mexico automatically qualified and has been drawn into Group A alongside Czechia, Korea, and South Africa. The team will play its first World Cup group stage match against South Africa on June 11, followed by fixtures against Korea on June 18 in Guadalajara, and Czechia on June 24 in Mexico City.
