The 2026 World Cup begins on Thursday, with the biggest tournament in soccer history opening in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
A record 48 teams will play 104 games over the next six weeks, with millions of fans tuning in to the opening ceremonies, first matches and the stories that define the tournament.
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Here’s what you should see on your first day.
What are your plans for June 11th?
The World Cup begins on Thursday, June 11th, with two Group A matches to be held in Mexico.
The opening ceremony at the Mexico City Stadium in Mexico City will begin at 11 a.m. local time (17:00 GMT) and feature a celebration of Mexican and Latin music.
Mexican singer Alejandro Fernandez will sing the national anthem, and artists such as Mana, Los Azures, Lila Downs and Belinda will participate. Colombia’s J Balvin and Venezuela’s Danny Ocean are also scheduled to appear, and Shakira headlines the ceremony alongside Nigeria’s Burna Boy, giving her first performance of the tournament’s official song “Die Die.”
Host country Mexico will play South Africa at the same venue at 1pm local time (7pm Japan time).
South Korea will then face the Czech Republic at the Estadio Guadalajara (Estadio Akron) in Guadalajara, with kickoff scheduled for 8pm local time (2am GMT on June 12).
What are your predictions for the Mexico vs. South Africa match?
Mexico are clear favorites to beat South Africa in their World Cup opener, with the Opta supercomputer giving the hosts a 66.3% chance of victory based on 10,000 pre-match simulations.
South Africa’s probability of winning is assigned at 14.3 per cent, while a draw occurs in 19.4 per cent of simulations.
Looking beyond the opening game, Opta also expects Mexico to finish Group A in first place ahead of South Korea, the Czech Republic and South Africa.
El Tri will be led by veteran striker Raul Jimenez and 17-year-old midfielder Gilberto Mora, while goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa will make history by appearing in a record sixth World Cup. Meanwhile, South Africa will be participating in the tournament for the fourth time and for the first time since it was held in 2010.
Teams playing in Mexico will compete at some of the tournament’s highest venues. Mexico City Stadium is approximately 7,300 feet (2,225 meters) above sea level, while Guadalajara is approximately 5,138 feet (1,566 meters) above sea level.
What are your predictions for the match between South Korea and Czech Republic?
South Korea are slim favorites to win against the Czech Republic, with Opta giving South Korea a 42.9 percent chance of winning compared to 31.1 percent for the Czech Republic.
The probability of a draw is 26.0%, so a close game is expected.
A broader outlook for Group A gives South Korea a 70 percent chance of advancing to the finals and a 21.3 percent chance of winning the group, while the Czech Republic has a 64.3 percent chance of advancing and a 17.9 percent chance of finishing first.
What else is shaping the World Cup?
The opening ceremony and first match take center stage, but they are not the only stories that define this World Cup. From immigration debates and soaring ticket prices to new technology and late-game injury setbacks, here’s what else is making headlines as the tournament gets underway.
Somali referee Omar Altan receives hero’s welcome after World Cup suspension
Artan received a hero’s welcome in Mogadishu after being denied entry to the United States before the tournament. Hundreds of supporters, waving Somali flags, gathered to greet the referee, who was set to become the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup.
U.S. authorities stopped him at Miami International Airport citing unspecified “screening concerns,” and FIFA subsequently removed him from its roster of referees. Artan told the New York Times that he was interrogated for 11 hours before being sent back.
Despite the setback, he remained hopeful. “God willing, I promise to attend the next rally,” he told his supporters.
Fans furious over soaring ticket prices
The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be the most expensive tournament in history, with some fans reconsidering their participation due to soaring ticket prices, soaring travel and accommodation costs, and concerns about U.S. immigration policy.
FIFA was the first to introduce dynamic pricing. This means that the cost of tickets increases with demand. More than 500 million ticket requests were submitted during the initial sales phase, with some seats reaching incredible prices.
“There’s already a lot of inflation going on. You already have to pay a lot of money for gas to get here, and now you know it’s costing even more money for tickets, so it’s very bad,” a soccer fan told Al Jazeera.
“It definitely means I won’t be able to go and I think a lot of people are very fed up with that, so I really hope they reevaluate it or at least give some sort of discount to people who are really big fans,” she added.
When tickets first went on sale in December, prices for the finals ranged from $140 to $8,680. By April, FIFA had raised its maximum price to $10,990, nearly seven times the $1,550 maximum suggested by North America’s original bid.
new technical rules
FIFA and the International Football Association Board (IFAB) have introduced a series of changes aimed at speeding up play and improving decision-making.
These include upgraded semi-automatic offside technology, a smart match ball with sensors that send real-time data to VAR, a visible five-second countdown to prevent wasting time on throw-ins and goal kicks, strict substitution rules and expanded VAR powers to review obvious errors such as second yellow cards, mistaken personnel and incorrectly awarded corner kicks.
World Cup injury setback
The Netherlands have been dealt a blow as Arsenal defender Julian Timber has been ruled out after failing to recover from a groin injury. The Dutch Football Association said the 24-year-old was not fit enough to meet the demands of the competition.
Brazil are also missing a key defender, with AS Roma right-back Wesley missing out after sustaining a left thigh injury in the friendly against Egypt. Ahead of Brazil’s Group C opener against Morocco, he will be replaced by Atalanta midfielder Ederson.
Why are drink breaks so controversial?
FIFA mandated a three-minute hydration break during the first half of all 104 World Cup matches, saying the measure was necessary to protect players from the intense heat after concerns arose during last year’s Club World Cup in the United States.
But critics argue the rules are too broad, even in cool venues, and have accused FIFA of commercializing cancellations after allowing broadcasters to run advertisements during breaks.
President Trump may be absent from World Cup opening match in the US
President Donald Trump has not said whether he will attend Friday’s U.S. World Cup opener against Paraguay in Los Angeles. However, Politico reported that people familiar with the tournament’s plans said he is not currently scheduled to participate, although his plans could still change.
The U.S. government will continue to represent the United States in games. The State Department announced that in addition to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullin will also attend.
Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum will also not be attending.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum will not use the tickets FIFA gave her for the opening match. Instead, the award went to Yolet Cervantes Cuacqua, a 21-year-old from Veracruz who won the contest by showing off his soccer juggling skills.
The challenge required young women to hold a ball up in front of a camera for one minute, and Sheinbaum also awarded tickets to three other winners.
“They are the pride of Mexico. They don’t represent the president or the heads of government, they represent Mexico,” Sheinbaum said at a press conference handing over the ticket to Cervantes Cuacqua.
World Cup celebrations begin as protests continue in Mexico City
Protests have erupted across the capital as Mexico prepares to host its opening match. Teachers from the CNTE union are taking to the streets alongside transport workers, farmers, and families of missing persons to demand better wages, changes to pensions, and action on long-standing issues.
Some demonstrations have affected preparations for the World Cup, with demonstrators blocking roads leading to the Estadio Azteca and demolishing some tournament facilities.
The 2026 World Cup will arrive with more baggage than most.
Along with the excitement of the opening game, there are also concerns over immigration crackdowns, travel restrictions, wars in Gaza and Iran, and the close relationship between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and US president Donald Trump.
Journalist Ashish Malhotra argued on Al Jazeera’s The Take that Trump had put himself at the center of the convention. “One of the reasons is Donald Trump. He’s really put himself front and center in this World Cup,” he said, adding that the US president is using the tournament to distract from other crises.
Malhotra was equally critical of football’s governing body. “FIFA is 100 percent a political entity and has been for nearly a century,” he said, pointing to the organization’s history with leaders accused of human rights abuses.
Despite the discrepancies, billions of people are still expected to watch it. “Sports is a bit like a drug. It’s a bit of an addiction,” Malhotra said. “The World Cup brings people together, which is why people are drawn to it.” Perhaps this is the tournament’s greatest paradox. Even in the midst of controversy, it’s hard to resist the allure of the beautiful game.
