From the Azteca opener to the USA’s bow at SoFi Stadium, here is your guide to the first three days of World Cup 2026 — every host nation, the must-see ties and how to follow along.
The wait is over. From June 11, the biggest World Cup ever — 48 teams, 104 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico — finally gets going. The opening weekend front-loads the drama: all three host nations play, and the tournament's signature venues take their bow.
Here is what to watch as the group stage begins. All times Eastern.
3 host nations, 6 matches, 3 days — the opening weekend of a 48-team World Cup. Source: NBC Sports
Lock in your picks before each kick-off on the predictions page — selections close when the referee starts the match. Track the tables in real time on the standings page, and plot the road to the final with our bracket.
It has been a long build-up. Opening weekend is where the talking finally stops.
Kickoff XI is an independent publication and is not affiliated with FIFA.
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.
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At 17, Gilberto Mora will be the youngest player at World Cup 2026. The Tijuana midfielder is already a Gold Cup winner — and he is not short on belief about Mexico’s chances.
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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi head to a record-equalling sixth World Cup, with Guillermo Ochoa in the same rarefied air. For the game’s great survivors, 2026 is the last dance.
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With final 26-man squads locked in, a handful of late injury replacements and fitness doubts — from Yamal to Messi — are shaping how the contenders line up for the opener.
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