The World Cup begins June 11 at the Estadio Azteca — the first ground to host three openers. Mexico face South Africa in a tie that reunites Javier Aguirre and Hugo Broos, 40 years on.
When the referee blows for kick-off in Mexico City on June 11, a tournament 12 years in the making finally starts — and it starts where so much World Cup history already lives. Hosts Mexico open the 2026 World Cup against South Africa at the Estadio Azteca, the first stadium ever to stage three opening matches, after 1970 and 1986 (FIFA).
Kick-off is 3 p.m. ET in front of a crowd expected to top 80,000 (NBC Sports). This is the curtain-raiser for Group A, which also features South Korea and Czechia.
80,000+ expected at the Azteca — the first stadium to host three World Cup openers (1970, 1986, 2026). Source: FIFA
The headline subplot is on the touchlines. Mexico coach Javier Aguirre and South Africa's Hugo Broos both played at the 1986 World Cup — and they were on the same Azteca pitch for that tournament's opener, when Aguirre's Mexico beat Broos's Belgium 2-1 on June 3, 1986 (Soccer Laduma).
Four decades on, the two former opponents meet again as managers in another Azteca opener. "Full circle" barely covers it: Aguirre is in his third spell with El Tri, having also led them at the 2002 and 2010 World Cups, while the 74-year-old Broos guides South Africa to their first finals since they hosted in 2010 (TimesLIVE).
Aguirre has leaned into a blend of experience and youth. Veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, 40, was named in the squad and could appear at a record-equalling sixth World Cup, while Fulham's Raúl Jiménez leads the line after nine Premier League goals in 2025-26 (Al Jazeera).
The most talked-about name, though, is 17-year-old Gilberto Mora — set to be the youngest player at the whole tournament. We profile him in full in our feature on Mexico's teenage spark.
Bafana Bafana arrive on merit, having topped their qualifying group with a final-day win over Rwanda in October 2025 (SAFA). Broos has built a disciplined, counter-attacking side around a settled core, adding only a couple of uncapped defenders to a group that came through qualifying intact.
The altitude is the great equaliser. The Azteca sits more than 2,200 metres above sea level, and any opponent who can stay compact and pick their moments has a chance to frustrate the hosts on a sapping afternoon.
Mexico are favourites, and the occasion — a home opener at the Azteca — should lift them. But openers are notoriously cagey, and Broos's South Africa are organised enough to make the hosts work for it.
Whatever the result, the symbolism is hard to beat: two men who shared this pitch as players in 1986 return to start a World Cup as rivals once more.
Make your call before kick-off on the predictions page, see how the section shapes up in our Group A preview, and follow the rest of opening weekend in our matchday-one guide.
Kickoff XI is an independent publication and is not affiliated with FIFA.
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