The night of June 11–12, 2026 marked the official start of the largest FIFA World Cup in history. The first match of the tournament took place at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, between Mexico and South Africa, followed later that night by South Korea vs. Czech Republic. Meanwhile, off the pitch, heated debates continued over the denial of entry to a Somali referee, Iran's participation, and FIFA's ticketing policies.
Top stories of the night
1. Official opening of the 2026 World Cup: Mexico vs. South Africa, Group A
The first match of the 2026 World Cup was played at the legendary Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Mexico hosted South Africa in a Group A fixture — a symbolic rematch of the opening game of the 2010 World Cup, where the same two sides drew 1–1 in Johannesburg. Kickoff was at 22:00 Kyiv time (15:00 local time / 21:00 BST). Before the match, the official tournament opening ceremony was held at Estadio Banorte in Monterrey, featuring performances by international music stars.
Background: Mexico came into the match on an eight-game unbeaten run in 2026 friendlies, including wins over Ghana (2–0), Australia (1–0), and Serbia (5–1). Head coach Javier Aguirre was forced to do without goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón and midfielder Marcel Ruiz due to injuries. South Africa, returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2010, arrived in Mexico City without a win in their last four matches. Wingers Tapelo Morena and Mohau Nkota missed the tournament through injury.
[Editor's note: the final score of the Mexico vs. South Africa match had not been confirmed by two independent sources at the time of publication — please verify after the game at fifa.com and espn.com]
2. Second match of the night: South Korea vs. Czech Republic, Group A
At 05:00 Kyiv time (10 pm ET / 08:00 local time in Guadalajara), Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Mexico hosted the second Group A match between South Korea and Czech Republic. Both sides began their battle for a place in the knockout rounds of the expanded tournament.
[Editor's note: the score of the South Korea vs. Czech Republic match is subject to verification at fifa.com and espn.com after the game concludes]
3. Somali referee scandal: Omar Artan denied entry to the US
One of the loudest off-field incidents ahead of the tournament's start was the denial of entry to the United States for referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan — the only Somali official selected to work at the 2026 World Cup. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported that Artan arrived at Miami International Airport and "was deemed inadmissible due to vetting concerns." Somalia is among the countries subject to a US travel ban. According to ESPN, a US official cited "ties to suspected members of terrorist organizations" as the reason for the refusal — an accusation the Somali football federation categorically rejected.
FIFA confirmed the referee's identity and stated: "FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of the host country, including the issuance of visas, and has been informed by the authorities that Mr. Artan's status will not be changed at this time." Artan returned to Mogadishu, where he was welcomed with honors. Canadian politicians from World Cup host cities publicly expressed support for the referee and invited him to officiate matches in Canada — though this is practically impossible, as all referees are required to attend a preparatory camp in Florida.
4. Infantino press conference: responding to the controversies
On the eve of the tournament's start, FIFA President Gianni Infantino held a 66-minute press conference in which he addressed several high-profile issues. Commenting on the Artan situation, he said: "It's unfortunate what happened to Omar. But we don't control everything." On criticism directed at FIFA, Infantino added: "Sometimes it's good to just calm down and relax. We are working on everything and trying to resolve everything."
The FIFA president also touched on the subject of ticket prices. FIFA uses a dynamic pricing system, and on its official resale platform the organization takes a 15% commission from both the seller and the buyer. In May, a single ticket on the official resale platform was listed for £8.5 million (approximately $11.5 million).
5. Iran's situation: tickets revoked, training camp relocated
The Iranian national team continues to face organizational difficulties. Just days before their first Group G match against New Zealand (June 16), the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) announced that its ticket allocation for the tournament had been cancelled. Earlier, the Iranian team had relocated its base camp from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico due to visa complications. At his press conference, Infantino assured reporters that he had personally visited the Iranian squad and confirmed their participation in the tournament.
6. Tournament format and scale
The 2026 World Cup is the first in history to feature 48 national teams — 16 more than at the previous tournament in Qatar. Matches are being played across 16 cities in three host countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The group stage runs from June 11 to June 27, the knockout rounds begin on June 28, and the final will be held on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The United States is hosting 78 of the tournament's 104 matches, including all games from the quarterfinals onward.
