There will be 13 different kick-off times for the 2026 World Cup. Al Jazeera Sports Widget lets you know exactly when your team will play in local time.
Who: Mexico vs South Africa
Content: 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A matches
Location: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Date and time: Thursday, 1pm local time (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: Get everything ready on Al Jazeera Sports from 16:00 GMT ahead of the live text commentary stream.
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At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first to be held on African soil, host country South Africa played Mexico in the opening game of the tournament, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Both teams will meet again on the same stage on Thursday. This time, co-host Mexico will welcome South Africa as the long-awaited 2026 FIFA World Cup begins in North America.
The opening game promises to be an incredible spectacle, with 80,000 fans expected to fill the prestigious Estadio Azteca.
Al Jazeera tells you everything you need to know.
The start of the biggest World Cup in history
Thursday’s match in Mexico City will be the start of a 39-day tournament that will feature 104 matches, 40 more than the previous edition in Qatar in 2022.
Expanded to 48 teams, the 2026 World Cup will be the largest in the sport’s history and the first time it will be held in three countries: the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The opening ceremony, held just 90 minutes before kick-off, will be headlined by four-time Grammy Award-winning superstar Shakira, and will also feature appearances by Colombian singer J Balvin and South African singer-songwriter Tyra.
Co-host Mexico faces pressure to deliver results
Mexico, a soccer-crazy country, is no stranger to the World Cup. El Tri is preparing to reach the finals for the 17th time.
Hosting the tournament’s opening match is a big deal in itself, but what’s even more special is that the massive Estadio Azteca is set to make history as the first stadium to host three FIFA World Cup opening matches (1960, 1986, and 2026).
Home advantage and high FIFA rankings make Mexico the favorites to win the match, but with more than 80,000 people expected to attend, the co-hosts feel under pressure to get off to the winning start their fans expect.
Mexico are unbeaten in their last eight games, matching their longest unbeaten streak at a World Cup and providing further encouragement for Javier Aguirre’s side ahead of the tournament.
Don’t underestimate South Africa’s vulnerable people
South Africa, ranked 60th in the FIFA rankings, is well behind Mexico, which is ranked 14th. But Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Bruce believes his team is more than capable of pulling off the upset.
Unlike Mexico, who are near World Cup regulars, South Africa are returning to the world stage after 16 years, making this their fourth appearance.
“It’s going to be a great experience for us,” Brus told reporters before the opening game.
“It’s very important to stick to the game plan and not listen to what’s going on in the stands.”
South Africa’s preparations were interrupted by visa issues, which delayed the arrival of several members of the tour group and required valuable time to familiarize themselves with conditions in central Mexico.
However, the Blues’ team will be hoping to overcome a difficult qualifying campaign and frustrate the hosts once again.
How will the World Cup group stage be played?
Group A included Mexico, South Africa, the Czech Republic, and South Korea.
The top two teams in each of the 12 groups and the top eight teams in third place advance to the next stage, the Round of 32, which was first introduced at the World Cup.
Mexico leads head-to-head record against South Africa
Thursday’s game will be the fifth time the two teams have met.
Mexico won twice, South Africa won once, but one match ended in a draw.
The last meeting between the two sides was in the opening game of the 2010 World Cup, where Siphiwe Tshabalala’s sensational opener was canceled out by Rafael Marquez’s equalizer, resulting in a 1-1 draw between the two teams in front of a crowd of 84,490 in Johannesburg.
Form guide:
(Last 5 games, newest first)
Mexico: WWWDD
South Africa: DDLDL
Mexico enters the opening round of the World Cup having won three consecutive friendlies against fellow tournament participants Ghana, Australia and Serbia.
However, South Africa were dissatisfied with their performance heading into the tournament, with no win in their last three friendlies, with Bafana Bafana drawing with Jamaica and Nicaragua and losing to Panama.
How can I watch Mexico vs. South Africa?
Mexican fans can watch the game at TUDN, Canal 5, Canal 9, Las Estrellas and Vic, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m.
South Africans can watch the match live on SuperSport, SportyTV and New World TV. Kickoff is at 9pm.
UK viewers can watch on ITV, while US viewers can tune in to Fox.
Click here to check the World Cup match kick-off in your time zone.
Possible starting lineup for Mexico national team
Raul Rangel; Jesus Gallardo, Johan Vazquez, Cesar Montes, Israel Reyes. Brian Gutierrez, Eric Lira, Alvaro Fidalgo. Julian Quiñones, Roberto Alvarado, Raul Jimenez
South Africa’s projected starting lineup
Ronwen Williams. Chryso Mudau, Ime Okon, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Aubrey Modiba. Teboho Mokoena, Sfephelo Sithole, Talente Mbata. Tshepang Moremi, Lyle Foster, Oswin Apolis
Al Jazeera’s dedicated FIFA World Cup 2026 page keeps you up to date with all the latest news, match developments and live text commentary, as well as group standings, real-time results and schedules.
