Final friendlies before the tournament: England and Portugal in form
On the day of the official opening of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the results of the final warm-up matches for participating nations became known. England convincingly thrashed Costa Rica 3:0. The goals were scored by Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon, and Ollie Watkins — all three are contenders for a starting spot in the group stage. England's first match at the tournament is scheduled for June 17 against Croatia — their group-stage opponent from the 2018 World Cup.
Portugal defeated Nigeria 2:1 in a friendly. The goals were scored by Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceição. Cristiano Ronaldo played 65 minutes on the pitch, confirming his readiness for the tournament. Argentina, the reigning world champions, will begin their title defence on June 16 in a match against Algeria.
Opening match: Mexico vs. South Africa at the legendary Azteca
The official start of WC-2026 will be given by the match Mexico vs. South Africa (Group A) at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City — at 22:00 Kyiv time. Symbolically, this same fixture opened the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where the match ended in a 1:1 draw. Mexico's head coach Javier Aguirre, who was also in charge of El Tri in that game 16 years ago, is now serving his third stint as the national team's manager.
Mexico have arrived at the tournament in excellent form: eight consecutive unbeaten matches in 2026, including wins over Ghana (2:0), Australia (1:0), and Serbia (5:1). However, the coaching staff faces injury concerns: goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón and midfielder Marcel Ruiz have been ruled out of the tournament squad due to injuries.
South Africa are returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2010. Coach Hugo Broos noted that left-back Aubrey Modiba, who had been recovering from an injury, has returned to training and is expected to play some role in the match. However, wingers Tapelo Morena and Mohau Nkota were left out of the squad due to injuries.
Second match of the day: South Korea vs. Czech Republic
The second fixture on June 11 in Group A — South Korea vs. Czech Republic — will take place in Zapopan, Mexico, at 05:00 Kyiv time on June 12. The winner of this match will challenge Mexico in the race to advance from the group.
Tournament format and scale
WC-2026 is record-breaking in terms of the number of participants: for the first time in history, 48 national teams are taking part in the final tournament, divided into 12 groups of four. A total of 104 matches will be played over 39 days across 16 stadiums in three host countries — the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The two best teams from each group advance to the knockout stage, along with the eight best third-placed sides. The final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey.
