Here's the latest
• World Cup kickoff: The 2026 World Cup officially begins at 3 p.m. ET with Mexico taking the field against South Africa for the tournament’s opening match in Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca.
• Opening ceremony: Today’s opening ceremony featuring the likes of Shakira, Andrea Bocelli and J Balvin is the first of three, highlighting some of the most popular and exciting artists from around the globe.
• Where to watch: In the US, all 104 matches of the World Cup can be watched on FOX and FS1. Spanish-language broadcasts are available on Telemundo and Peacock.
• Sign up for The Beautiful Game by CNN Sports, our daily World Cup newsletter.
• Cobertura en directo en español: sigue toda nuestra cobertura del Mundial en CNN en Español.
Put your World Cup predictions to the test with CNN's bracket
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is upon us and fans around the world are set for more than a month of soccer action.
Hosted in the United States, Mexico and Canada, this will be the first edition with 48 teams, broken down into 12 groups of four teams and a whopping 104 matches in total.
The top two in each group progress to the knockout round – which is the first ever round-of-32 in tournament history – along with the eight best third-place teams.
In this interactive graphic, you can play out your predictions for the entire tournament and build your own World Cup: predict the top two teams in each group, choose the eight best third-place finishers and you can make your picks in the resulting bracket to choose your eventual champion.
Share the results with your friends and see who is the best at predicting “The Beautiful Game!”
Italian maestro Andrea Bocelli to perform at today's opening ceremony
Italian maestro and global music icon Andrea Bocelli is set to perform World Cup anthem “DNA” for the first time at today’s opening ceremony in Mexico City.
The track, released on Wednesday, features Bocelli, French producer David Guetta, American rapper Megan Thee Stallion and South Korean singer EJAE.
According to FIFA, “DNA” is meant to celebrate the sport of soccer as “more than a game, capturing the identity, unity and belonging” central to the World Cup.
Watch Bocelli speak with CNN’s Jake Tapper in anticipation of the performance below:
In pictures: Festive scenes in Mexico City
We’re less than two hours before kickoff now, and fans are flocking to the stadium ahead of the much-anticipated opening match between Mexico and South Africa.
A sign under Osito (“Little Bear”), the dog above, reads: “Cheer up! Today is a great day for a smile.”
How to watch the first of three opening ceremonies
Before the action starts on the pitch today between El Tri and Bafana Bafana, there is the slight matter of the opening ceremony which begins at 1:30 p.m. ET.
It will be the first of a three-part celebration, as there will also be opening ceremonies before the first games held in the US and Canada in Los Angeles and Toronto.
Shakira and Burna Boy are among the headliners in Mexico City and will perform the official World Cup song, “Dai Dai.”
For those who won’t be at the Estadio Azteca, there are plenty of ways to follow along. In the US, FOX and FS1 will broadcast the ceremony live in English and Telemundo will provide Spanish-language coverage. It can also be streamed on FOX One, Tubi, Peacock, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream.
A familiar World Cup face is back again
If you’re at a trivia night in the future, this question might come up: Who was the first man to participate in a record six FIFA World Cup tournaments?
You might think it’s Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player of all time, or Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo. But neither is correct. The unlikely answer will be Mexico’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa, who is in the squad to face South Africa today.
Ochoa has flown under the radar on the world stage. He was picked for Mexico’s World Cup squads for 2006 and 2010, but made his first appearance in 2014, where he produced a stunning string of saves against Brazil. He’s been a familiar face at the tournament ever since, becoming somewhat of a cult hero.
He has once again been called up by his nation, mainly because of an injury to Mexico’s second-choice keeper Luis Ángel Malagón.
While he may not actually take the field at the Estadio Azteca, Ochoa can proudly say that he’s being mentioned in the same breath as Messi and Ronaldo, and – thanks to a quirk of the tournament schedule – he might even be able to say that he made history before them.
World Cup schedule: What's coming up next for host nation Mexico
After today’s opener, avid Mexican soccer fans will be looking ahead to when they can see their favorite team play next.
Following today’s match, fans will have to wait a week to see El Tri take on South Korea at 9 p.m. ET on June 18. Mexico’s final match of the group stage takes place on June 24 at 9 p.m. against Czech Republic.
South Africa, competing in Group A alongside Mexico, plays its next match on June 18 at noon against Czech Republic. On June 24, Bafana Bafana closes out their group stage play vs. South Korea.
The Estadio Azteca: A World Cup stadium steeped in history
Most know it as the Estadio Azteca, though it’s officially being called Mexico City Stadium during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But however you decide to refer to the stadium which has the honor of hosting the opening game of the tournament, be in no doubt: This is a legendary location.
Sixty years old this year, the Estadio Azteca has played host to two World Cup finals, as Pelé’s Brazil offered up a sumptuous feast of soccer, thrashing Italy 4-1 in the 1970 final, highlighted by nine different Brazilian players being involved in Carlos Alberto’s fantastic fourth goal.
Sixteen years later, a Diego Maradona-inspired Argentina saw off West Germany 3-2 in the final, with a Maradona assist resulting in the winning goal. And it was that same tournament in 1986 when Maradona scored the infamous Hand of God against England in the quarterfinal, followed a few minutes later by the Goal of the Century.
No pressure then, class of 2026, starting with Mexico and South Africa later today, but you’ve got a lot to live up to.
Mexico's "out of reach" World Cup tickets leave some fans excluded
Today, Mexico makes history as the first country to host three World Cups, but the excitement over that record is not reflected among Mexican fans.
Francisco Javier Ferreira remembers the two World Cups he attended in his home country in 1970 and 1986, but he will not be able to attend the third. The 70-year-old says the high cost of tickets for the 13 matches on Mexican soil, combined with the difficulty of getting a ticket and the limited number of games assigned to Mexico as the third host country, has dampened his excitement as a fan.
“For Mexico’s economic reality, the only people who have the most means will be able to get in,” he told CNN.
Of the 104 matches in this year’s World Cup, four will be played in Monterrey, four in Guadalajara, and five at the newly renovated Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, including today’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa.
When FIFA released a second round of tickets in April, prices for the first game in Mexico ranged from $3,000 to $10,000. The sky-high ticket costs are unaffordable for most Mexicans, like Ferreira, who is retired and receives an average monthly income of $1,000.
“It doesn’t feel the same as the previous two World Cups. This World Cup basically belongs to the United States. It doesn’t feel Mexican. That’s how it feels to me because even ticket prices are out of reach for everyone,” he laments.
Read more about high ticket prices affecting Mexican football fans here.
Fans are not risking traffic and walk to the Estadio Azteca
El Tri fans are ensuring they don’t miss a single second of Mexico’s opening World Cup match against South Africa tonight.
Many have even been seen walking to the Estadio Azteca from as far as three kilometers (almost two miles) away, as the police have blocked off many of the roads in the city.
CNN en Español’s Elizabeth Pérez, who will be at the Estadio Azteca for the opening match and is in Mexico City for the entirety of the tournament, is experiencing it all first hand:
“There have been multiple protests seeking to bring visibility to various causes this week. This has created disruptions in a city already known for its chaotic traffic.
“Ahead of the opening match, I experienced firsthand just how unpredictable it can be to get around by car. Traveling from Reforma to the southern part of the city to report from the stadium – a journey of about 16 miles that can take just over 30 minutes without traffic – turned into a nearly two-hour trip on Wednesday morning.”
Yet again, Mexico will become the epicenter of global soccer as the World Cup kicks off soon.
Protests impact Mexico City's metro
The Mexico City Metro, the most widely used public transportation system in the Mexican capital, reported that several stations are closed this Thursday due to “demonstrations outside,” ahead of the World Cup opener at the Mexico City Stadium.
The more than 10 stations with temporary closures belong to lines 1, 2, and 3, and are located in the downtown area of Mexico City, where teachers from the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) are protesting.
The Mexican government stated Thursday that dialogue with the CNTE is ongoing, without reaching an agreement yet, and affirmed that the protests they are carrying out have a “political interest” of “trying to affect the World Cup.”
Additionally, search groups have been protesting what they deem government inaction on finding missing persons near Textitlán Metro station, where they said they were prevented from marching by police. Some are taking the train to another scheduled protest around El Zócalo. Most, however, are staying put and protesting in the area around Textitlán.
The protesters near Textitlán reference the World Cup in their chants, saying, “Mexico is a champion in disappearances.” The country has more than 130,000 people missing nationwide.
World Cup opening match could feature showers, storms in Mexico City
The World Cup’s much-anticipated opening match in Mexico City could be accompanied by some inclement weather, as showers and thunderstorms will be prevalent in the area as the afternoon progresses.
The match, between Mexico and South Africa, will take place at 3 p.m. ET at the iconic Estadio Azteca, one of 11 different outdoor venues across Mexico, Canada and the US that will host World Cup games this year.
The chance of storms, which will likely contain lightning and have the potential to suspend play, will increase as the game continues. Storm chances increase from 25% at kick-off, to more than 75% by 5 p.m. ET.
The second game of the tournament will also be held in Mexico, with South Korea facing Czech Republic in Guadalajara at 10 p.m. ET today. That match faces a lower possibility of showers with chances around 25% during the game.
Mexico City and Guadalajara are both beginning their rainy seasons, which run from June through August.
Mexico becomes the first three-time host nation in World Cup history
By hosting the 2026 edition, Mexico is set to make World Cup history by becoming the first nation to host the tournament three times.
Mexico previously welcomed the World Cup in 1970 and 1986. The 1970 edition was especially notable for introducing breakthrough additions that eventually became tournament staples, including broadcasting matches in color, allowing teams to make substitutions and introducing yellow and red cards. Brazil, led by legendary forward Pelé, won the 1970 tournament after defeating Italy 4-1 in the final match.
The 1986 World Cup was held in Mexico after Colombia, the original choice, withdrew largely due to the country’s economic inability to meet the demands of the tournament’s scale. The 1986 edition is widely remembered for Argentinian superstar Diego Maradona’s dominant and often controversial performances en route to winning the World Cup and the Golden Ball.
Mexico’s history hosting the World Cup has largely contributed to the iconic status of the famous Estadio Azteca, where El Tri will kick off the 2026 tournament against South Africa. The revered stadium has been the site of some of the greatest moments in soccer history, having hosted the most World Cup games ever and will be adding to that record this year.
In both the 1970 and 1986 tournaments, Mexico was eliminated in the quarterfinals, which remains the farthest the national team has advanced in its 18 World Cup appearances. Ahead of the opening match against South Africa, El Tri is looking to once again make the most of their host nation advantage.
Why this World Cup opener triggers nostaglia for many soccer fans
“I think we felt the whole country move,” Nkosinathi Sibisi, who is set to make his World Cup debut for South Africa, told CNN Sports.
The defender was talking about a moment that’s seared into the minds of almost every soccer fan – and a memory that sends the calendar flipping back exactly 16 years to June 11, 2010.
It was the start of the 2010 World Cup. South Africa, this time the host, was playing Mexico in the opening game – a reversal of roles compared to today’s matchup.
The match finished in a 1-1 draw, but one moment in that game lives long in the memory. It came when South Africa’s Siphiwe Tshabalala rocketed his team in front with a goal so special, and so meaningful, that it moved a continent and inspired the current generation of stars.
Arguably the most memorable moment came after the goal, when Tshabalala and teammates performed an instantly iconic, synchronized dance routine. It was a moment made even more magical by the beautiful words from British commentator Peter Drury, who was covering the game: “Goal Bafana Bafana. Goal for South Africa. Goal for all Africa.”
“It wasn’t only a great moment for the players, but it was for the whole country and for the whole of Africa,” Sibisi told CNN Sports.
J Balvin performs as a headliner for World Cup's opening ceremony
Before FIFA announced the World Cup’s opening ceremony headliners, reggaeton superstar J Balvin called his act a “huge statement,” not just for him but for the entire Latino music scene.
It has been a year of records for Balvin and Latin music as a whole. In February, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny became the first Latino artist to headline a Super Bowl halftime show. In April, another Colombian star, Karol G, headlined the closing night of Coachella, in another first.
Balvin’s gig at the FIFA World Cup – which will see 104 matches take place across 16 cities in North America – marks another milestone in Latin music’s global dominance.
Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla are among other headliners who will kick off the “greatest show on earth,” as Mexican culture takes center stage for 90 minutes before the start of the first game.
“People thought reggaeton was gonna die 30 years ago… (But) we’re going nowhere, you know? Our numbers don’t lie, and we know what we represent. We know what we can give to the world: our skills, our talent. We embrace our culture more than ever,” Balvin told CNN.
Hello and bienvenidos!
Welcome to CNN Sports’ live coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup!
It’s been a long three and a half years since we closed the curtains on Qatar 2022, but to paraphrase The Rock in his WWE glory years: Finally, the World Cup is BACK on our screens!
We’ve had a lot of controversies occur in the build-up to today’s opener, which have all contributed to a difficult buildup to the tournament, but as a veteran of many World Cups, I can assure you that once the action kicks off on the pitch, all of that noise will (likely) die down amid the roars of fans and the passion of the Beautiful Game. And boy, there are a lot of games to enjoy…
In this newly expanded tournament, there are 48 teams set to play 104 matches across five and a half weeks in three countries. If that’s a bit overwhelming, take a look at our handy guide to the 10 best group stage matches, so you can catch the biggest clashes – though if you’re like me and my CNN Sports colleagues, you will likely try to watch as many of the games as possible.
That being said, that giant wave of action starts with today’s contest between co-host Mexico and South Africa. In an echo of the past, El Tri and Bafana Bafana play each other in a World Cup opener exactly 16 years to the day from when they last did so at South Africa 2010 (a tournament fondly remembered by me as my beloved nation of Spain won its first World Cup). I’ll let my colleague Ben Church tell you what happened in that game in a bit.
So without further ado, let’s get into everything going on ahead of today’s match. Welcome aboard.
