FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off tomorrow: Mexico vs South Africa at the Azteca

[TheRizz]

It is finally here. The biggest World Cup ever, 48 teams across three host nations, and it gets going tonight in Mexico City with Mexico vs South Africa at the Estadio Azteca. That match is actually a repeat of the 2010 opener when Tshabalala scored that iconic goal. England, Scotland, and pretty much every other nation fans here care about follow in the days ahead.

Messi is confirmed to play in the Argentina fixture despite hamstring concerns, though Scaloni has been cagey about how many minutes he will actually give him. The sheer scale of this tournament is hard to wrap your head around: 80 matches, three countries, and stadiums spread across both coasts of North America. Scheduling-wise it is going to be exhausting to follow.

If you are planning to watch UK timezone it means very late nights and very early mornings for a lot of these group games. Worth it though. This is the tournament that has been talked about for years and it is finally real.

World Cup 2026 today: Live updates, news as England prepare for final friendly - June 10

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49016738/world-cup-2026-today-blog-10-06-2026-live-updates-news-fixtures-schedule-results-lionel-messi-scores

[Slay40]

Staying up for the opener tonight. Mexico vs South Africa is not a glamour fixture but it is the start of it all and I am not missing a moment. Got snacks in, the lot.

[Teal Sparrow]

The time zones are going to absolutely destroy me for the next month. Some of these group games kick off at 2am UK time. Absolutely brutal scheduling for fans on this side of the Atlantic.

[Aura49]

Who is everyone picking to win it? My head says France, my heart says England, my gut says neither and we will all be miserable by the quarters as usual.