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 10www.espn.com

[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.

[Violet_47]

France honestly look the strongest on paper. With Mbappe fit and Olise coming into his own they have real depth. But on paper is where England have looked strong for about 30 years now.

[Cheeky Shaun]

Messi playing even with a hamstring concern tells you everything about what this tournament means to him. Could be his last World Cup. He will want to go out with a bang.

[RusticDaemon]

48 teams is too many. Let's just be honest about it. The group stage is going to have matches that are effectively meaningless and the overall quality will be diluted. Should have stayed at 32.

[AustinTheory18]

I disagree. Smaller nations getting their moment on the biggest stage is what football is supposed to be about. Not every World Cup match needs to be a classic.

[Sophie86]

What are people doing for watching arrangements? I've got a few mates coming over but we haven't sorted the group stage rota yet.

[Dylan70]

Looking forward to some late nites