Mexico and South Africa opened the 2026 World Cup Thursday afternoon at Mexico City Stadium. Fox analyst Landon Donovan said, “This place was packed three hours before the game. When we arrived at 7am, there were thousands and thousands of people waiting to get in. Mexico has been waiting for this moment for a long time.” A minute into the match, Fox’s Ian Darke remarked on the crowd, “What an atmosphere.” Donovan added, “I’ve been here a number of times, Ian. I’ve never seen it like this” (“Mexico-South Africa,” Fox, 6/11). Fox Sports host Jules Breach said, “This place is full” (“FIFA World Cup Live,” Fox, 6/11).
The opening ceremony in Mexico featured “beautiful costumes – including indigenous inspired garb and futuristic, almost cosmic, gold and silver outfits – a giant World Cup with some fireworks.” A pair of life-sized Labubus dressed in FIFA gear “mess around a bit, then pull out a World Cup plushie” before introducing musician J Balvin (CNN.com, 6/11). Shakira sang the official World Cup song, “Dai Dai” with Burna Boy (ESPN.co.uk, 6/11). The show began with a “production inspired by Mexico’s ancestral heritage,” featuring a “giant golden sphere that symbolically transformed into the World Cup trophy, accompanied by a welcome message to the world delivered in both Spanish and English.” Following the performance by Shakira and Burna Boy, there was a “fireworks display in the colors of the Mexican flag” (USA TODAY, 6/11).
The opening game comes amid a “backdrop of protests around the capital” (REUTERS, 6/11). Dozens of police officers “formed a blockade” as protesters over the 130,000 missing people in Mexico “arrived at the secured area” outside the stadium. Some protesters threw “flower petals at the police.” Mexican President Claudia Sheibaum, who had previously said she would watch the game with fans at the Zócalo fan fest in downtown Mexico City, “decided not to attend” the event. Unlike at past World Cups, the full squads of both teams came “out on the field for the national anthems” (AP, 6/11).
Actress Salma Hayek “delivered the World Cup trophy” before the opening ceremony, standing next to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Before the game kicked off, flags for all 48 participating countries were marched onto the field. Rain is “expected in Mexico City today,” including a “chance for storms during the opening match” (NBCNEWS.com, 6/11).
