The 2026 Men’s World Cup gets underway with co-host Mexico playing South Africa in the tournament’s opening match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Multiple outlets report that the match takes place before a large home crowd, with France 24 citing around 80,000 attendees. The Independent, PBS NewsHour, CBS News, and NBC NewsHour all describe Mexico as the home team that starts the tournament, while NBC and Yahoo Sports report that Mexico wins the opening game. Yahoo and PBS NewsHour specify the scoreline as a 2-0 victory for Mexico, with NBC also characterizing the result as a win that kicks off the biggest World Cup in history. Other coverage from France 24 adds context about broader events around the tournament, including unrest in South Africa and the repatriation of Nigerians, but the match report centers on the Mexico–South Africa opener. Together, the accounts agree that the opening match begins the tournament and ends with Mexico defeating South Africa in Mexico City.
Mexico hosts and defeats South Africa as World Cup opens in Mexico City
The 2026 Men’s World Cup gets underway with co-host Mexico playing South Africa in the tournament’s opening match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Multiple outlets report that the match takes place b...
- The World Cup begins with co-host Mexico playing South Africa in Mexico City.
- The opening match is at Estadio Azteca.
- Mexico wins the opening match; reported score is 2–0.
- The match is played before a large home crowd, including about 80,000 cited by France 24.
- Coverage also notes significant attention and wider events around the tournament, including unrest in South Africa mentioned by France 24.
Mexico opened the World Cup on Thursday with a dominant 2-0 win over South Africa in front of a boisterous home crowd at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium.
2 months agoMexico beat South Africa 2-0 in a drama-filled opening match of the World Cup at the Estadio Azteca Thursday, kicking off the biggest ever edition of the global football extravaganza.- Korean joy - South Korea got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start by beating the Czech Republic 2-1 in the opening day's second game.
2 months agoFans packed Mexico City as the largest World Cup ever got underway, with Mexico defeating South Africa in the tournament's opening match. NBC News’ Stephanie Gosk reports.
2 months agoThe Men's World Cup officially kicked off Thursday with a match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City. Billions of fans are expected to watch the tournament worldwide. CBS News correspondent Nicole Valdes reports on fans' excitement.
2 months agoIn tonight's edition, the World Cup kicks off with co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa in front of 80,000 fans at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Also, as Africa sends the most teams that it ever has to the tournament, we revisit the legacy of the first team from the continent to head to the World Cup. And hundreds of Nigerians are repatriated from escalating anti-immigrant unrest in South Africa.
2 months agoThe largest World Cup in tournament history kicked off Thursday with co-host Mexico taking on South Africa in the opening match.
2 months ago
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