The 2026 FIFA World Cup opened at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City with a ceremony of music and dance, followed by host nation Mexico's 2-0 group-stage victory over South Africa. The match began the first edition of the men's tournament to feature 48 teams.

The opening production was built around a large representation of the World Cup trophy on the field. Colombian performer Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy performed the tournament's official song, “Dai Dai,” before a sellout crowd. Mexico and South Africa provided the only fixture on the opening day.

This edition marked a significant expansion in both field and schedule. The 48 national teams were arranged into 12 groups of four, and the tournament comprised 104 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Each team was guaranteed three group games. The top two finishers in every group would advance, joined by the eight strongest third-place teams, creating a 32-team knockout bracket.

The three co-hosts qualified automatically. Four participants — Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan — were making their World Cup debuts. Defending champion Argentina returned seeking consecutive titles, a feat last achieved by Brazil when it won the 1958 and 1962 tournaments. Italy is the only other country to have retained the men's title, doing so in 1938 after winning in 1934.

Matches were distributed widely among the host countries. The group-stage list included three Mexican cities — Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey — as well as Toronto and Vancouver in Canada and 11 locations in the United States. Later rounds were also spread across the region, with the final scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

The competition was set to run for 39 days after the opener, giving supporters almost six weeks of football. In Mexico City, authorities deployed a substantial police presence, including around an outdoor screening site in the city centre. Reports described scuffles as crowds tried to enter the viewing area before the match.

On the field, Mexico's win supplied a successful start for one of the three hosts. Beyond that opening result, the altered format meant a longer route to the trophy: 32 teams would survive the group phase before entering single-elimination play, with losing semifinalists contesting a third-place match.

The Mexico City launch therefore combined familiar World Cup elements — a host playing the opener, an international ceremony and a packed stadium — with the beginning of the competition's largest structure to date.