Kathmandu, June 11: After a four-year wait, the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup gets underway today, with co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa in the tournament’s opening match.
The highly anticipated clash will be played at Mexico City Stadium and is scheduled to kick off at 12:45 AM Nepal time.
The 2026 World Cup marks a historic milestone as the tournament is being hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, making it the first World Cup to be staged across three nations. It is also the first edition to feature 48 teams, expanding from the previous 32-team format.
Mexico and South Africa Eye Winning Start
Both Mexico and South Africa will be aiming to begin their World Cup campaigns with a victory in Group A. Interestingly, the two sides also met in the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where they played out a 1-1 draw.
Mexico have not lost their opening World Cup match since 1994 and will be making their 18th appearance at the tournament. Despite never winning the World Cup, Mexico hold the record for the most World Cup matches played by a nation without lifting the trophy, with more than 60 appearances in World Cup fixtures.
Their best performances came in 1970 and 1986, when they reached the quarter-finals on home soil.
South Africa, meanwhile, are set to make their fourth World Cup appearance. The African nation has played nine World Cup matches to date, winning two of them. Notably, none of South Africa’s World Cup games have ever ended in a goalless draw.
The tournament also marks South Africa’s return to the World Cup stage for the first time since 2010. Mexico, on the other hand, reached the Round of 16 in both 2014 and 2018 before suffering a group-stage exit in 2022.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Groups
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
Friday Morning Fixture
- South Africa vs Czech Republic — 7:45 AM (Nepal Time)
