The 2026 World Cup gets underway on Thursday night when co-hosts Mexico face South Africa in their opening Group A fixture at the iconic Estadio Azteca (Mexico City Stadium).
Representing the first of 104 games in total in the expanded 48-team era, this fixture serves as a nostalgic flip of the script from 2010, when Rafael Marquez cancelled out Siphiwe Tshabalala’s unforgettable opening strike in a 1-1 draw in Johannesburg.
Match Preview
Mexico have made history before even kicking a ball at this summer’s eagerly-anticipated tournament. They are the first nation to host the men’s World Cup three times, adding 2026 (alongside the United States and Canada) to their legendary standalone editions in 1970 and 1986.
Head coach Javier Aguirre is preparing to lead El Tri into his third World Cup across three separate stints at the helm. Appointed in 2024, the 67-year-old has inherited a side desperate to make amends for their dismal Qatar 2022 campaign, where they failed to reach the knockout rounds for the first time since 1978.
Ranked 14th in the world by FIFA, Mexico bypassed the rigours of CONCACAF qualification as co-hosts. Following their CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup triumphs last year, they suffered a slight post-silverware hangover, failing to win any of their final six friendly matches of 2025 (D4 L2).
However, El Tri’s form has significantly improved this year. They held European powerhouses Portugal and Belgium to respectable draws before putting together a three-match winning streak against Ghana, Australia, and Serbia, thrashing the latter 5-1 in Toluca last Friday.
Unbeaten across their last seven opening games at the World Cup dating back to 1994 (W5 D2), Mexico are set to be roared on by a sell-out 83,000 capacity crowd on Thursday. A victory against South Africa will significantly boost their chances of securing top spot in Group A.
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South Africa have landed in North America for their fourth World Cup appearance, marking their return to the prestigious tournament for the first time since hosting the event 16 years ago. Their arrival ends a lengthy period on the sidelines following three consecutive failed qualification attempts.
Bafana Bafana punched their ticket to this summer’s global spectacle following a dramatic conclusion to CAF qualifying. Their 3-0 final-round victory over Rwanda, coupled with Nigeria thrashing group leaders Benin 4-0, helped them secure top spot with 18 points from 10 matches (W5 D3 L2).
Lighting up the night sky in Mexico City for the #FIFAWorldCup ✨#NovaSkyStories pic.twitter.com/K3uW3iw2Y1
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 11, 2026
Managed by Belgian boss Hugo Broos since 2021, South Africa enter the tournament as the 11th highest-ranked African nation and 60th overall in the FIFA standings. While many expect them to be outsiders to advance from Group A, their resilience shouldn’t be underestimated. Since reaching the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations at the beginning of the year, they have endured a four-match winless run in friendly fixtures, including a 1-1 draw with Jamaica last Saturday.
Broos admitted after the match that his team’s performance fell short of expectations and promised a deep analysis. On Thursday, South Africa will be chasing their first win over Mexico since a 2-1 success at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July 2005.
Recent Form (All Competitions)
- Mexico: W – D – D – W – W – W
- South Africa: W – L – D – L – D – D
The View from South Africa
Ayomide Oguntimehin, Afrik-Foot South Africa:
“Mexico vs. South Africa feels like a reverse replay of the 2010 FIFA World Cup opener, but the circumstances are very different. While Mexico enter as hosts backed by a passionate home crowd, Bafana Bafana begin their first World Cup campaign in 16 years. The challenge facing Hugo Broos’s men could hardly be greater… If they can withstand the early pressure and remain disciplined defensively, they have the tools to make this a far more competitive contest than many expect.”
Team News
Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is hoping to become the first player to compete at six World Cups this summer, but the 40-year-old faces stern competition from Raul Rangel for a start between the sticks. Captain Edson Alvarez is set to earn his 99th international cap at centre-back alongside Cesar Montes. Aguirre has a big decision to make over whether to start 17-year-old sensation Gilberto Mora in midfield, or opt for a more experienced head in Orbelin Pineda or Luis Chavez.
New Wolves signing Raul Jimenez will become Mexico’s joint-second all-time leading goalscorer (along with Jared Borgetti on 46 goals) if he finds the net against South Africa.
As for South Africa, Aubrey Modiba is in contention to start at left-back after recovering from a hamstring injury, while Ime Okon and Mbekezeli Mbokazi could be selected to start at the heart of the defence. Oswin Appollis directly contributed to a team-high six goals in World Cup qualifying, and the Orlando Pirates winger could provide support in attack for Burnley striker Lyle Foster.
Predicted Lineups
Mexico Possible Starting Lineup:
Ochoa; Sanchez, Montes, Alvarez, Gallardo; Gutierrez, Fidalgo, Pineda; Alvarado, Jimenez, Quinones
South Africa Possible Starting Lineup:
Williams; Mudau, Mbokazi, Okon, Modiba; Mbatha, Sithole, Mokoena; Appollis, Foster, Moremi
Maltasport Says: Mexico 2-1 South Africa
The fact that Mexico have kept six clean sheets in their last eight internationals should not faze a South African outfit who have found the net in nine of their last 11 matches heading into the World Cup. Furthermore, five of the last six fixtures involving Bafana Bafana have seen both teams score.
Broos typically adopts a more pragmatic, counter-attacking approach against stronger opposition, though remaining laser-focused in a highly hostile Azteca atmosphere could prove challenging. With home advantage and superior squad depth, expect El Tri to handle the pressure and kick-start their campaign with a narrow, but vital, victory.
