2026 World Cup schedule, scores, live updates: Group stage kicks off with Mexico vs. South Africa in Mexico City

Mexico is controlling the opening half hour with the 1-0 lead. South Africa continue to be on their heels as they look for a prime counterattack opportunity to equalize.

South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams has been the more active of the two goalkeepers. Bafana Bafana will need him to keep them in this match.

The first-ever World Cup hydration break has finished up with players getting a three-minute rest in the hot temperatures in Mexico City.

Mexico’s Brian Gutierrez gets. acaution for a bad foul.

South Africa gets its first opportunity in the 24th minute with a free kick along the far sideline, but the ball is headed away from danger.

South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena gets the first caution of the World Cup after a foul.

This is the eighth time that Mexico has taken part in an opening match at a World Cup and second time as hosts.

Unfortunately for El Tri, they haven’t had any luck playing in match No. 1. In those previous seven games, Mexico is 0-5-2, including a 1-1 draw against South Africa in Johannesburg at the 2010 tournament.

South Africa was a big underdog in the World Cup opener for myriad reasons. Its best chance at pulling the upset was to keep the game scoreless for as long as possible or sneak an early goal.

Instead, this might be the worst-case start.

Mexico entered its first match as a prohibitive favorite (-250) to beat South Africa and El Tri gets on the board first with a goal in the 9th minute.

Mexico is up to a -900 favorite to win the match now.

Julian Quiñones puts the co-hosts on top after pouncing on a loose ball outside the South Africa box and then firing a shot between goalkkeeper Ronwen Williams’ legs.

1-0 Mexico

Raúl Jiménez gets the game’s first chance a little over five minutes in after the striker got on the end of a Israel Reyes cross, but South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams makes a good save.

South Africa coach Hugo Broos became the oldest coach to manage a World Cup match when his team opened the 2026 World Cup against Mexico.

He’s going to hold that record for mere hours.

The 74-year-old Belgian broke a record that had stood for 16 years when Greece’s Otto Rehhagel became the oldest manager in tournament history in 2010 at the age of 71. Before Rehhagel, Paraguay’s Cesare Maldini was the oldest World Cup manager — he was 70 at the 2002 World Cup.

At this year’s World Cup, the record will be broken three times in a matter of days.

Read more here.

Mexico and South Africa have kicked off from Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in the opening match of the World Cup.

There will be 104 matches played between today and July 19 when a world champion will be crowned at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

While Mexico has held the honor of participating in eight World Cup opening matches (1930, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1970, and 2010), they would like to have another honor bestowed upon them: world champions

The World Cup’s history has long been written in Mexico City, and now it reaches a new milestone.

Mexico has become the first nation to host three men’s World Cups, while the iconic Estadio Azteca has made history of its own by becoming the first stadium to stage matches at three different tournaments

Olympique de Marseille center back Leonardo Balerdi suffered a suffering a right soleus injury during training on Saturday.

Senesi, who will join Tottenham from Bournemouth this summer, has been called up as his replacement.