The world’s biggest sporting event is finally here, and it kicked off exactly how you’d want it to if you’re a Mexico fan.
On Thursday, the 2026 FIFA World Cup officially got underway at the freshly renovated Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, and the night delivered on every front: a massive opening ceremony, a home win, and a match that made history for all the wrong (and right) reasons.
Let’s go, @FIFAWorldCup 2026!
pic.twitter.com/y6ptWex7Ih
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) June 11, 2026
A Ceremony Built for the Moment
Before a ball was even kicked, the Azteca turned into one giant concert. Shakira headlined the show, performing “Dai Dai,” her collaboration with Burna Boy that’s serving as this World Cup’s official anthem. It marked her fourth time performing at a World Cup opening, so she clearly knows how to set the tone.
COMPLETO: Assista à performance de Shakira e Burna Boy cantando “Dai Dai” na cerimônia de abertura da Copa do Mundo FIFA 2026! pic.twitter.com/ZRmltKr9oH
— Central Shakira Brasil
(@CentralShakira) June 11, 2026
She wasn’t alone. Mexican rock legends Maná brought the crowd to its feet, Andrea Bocelli added a touch of class with the tournament anthem, and singer-songwriter Lila Downs welcomed the world in Spanish, English, and the Indigenous languages Mixtec and Nahuatl, a nice nod to the host country’s roots. Adding even more star power, actress Salma Hayek made a surprise appearance to help present the World Cup trophy alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
It was a fitting send-off for a stadium that’s now hosted the opener for three different World Cups, something no other venue can claim.
Mexico Finally Breaks the Curse
Once the music stopped and the football started, Mexico wasted no time. In just the ninth minute, winger Julian Quiñones capitalized on a defensive mix-up from South Africa’s Yaya Sithole, slotting the ball past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to give the hosts an early lead and the first goal of the tournament.
That early goal mattered for more reasons than one. This was actually Mexico’s eighth appearance in a World Cup opening match, and remarkably, they’d never won one before, going 0-5-2 in their previous attempts, including a loss to South Africa itself back in 2010. So getting on the board so quickly in front of a packed home crowd was a huge weight off their shoulders.
Then Things Got Chaotic
The second half is where the match really took a turn. In the 49th minute, Sithole brought down Mexico’s Brian Gutiérrez on a clear breakaway and was shown a straight red card, leaving South Africa down to ten men.
Mexico made South Africa pay almost immediately. Striker Raúl Jiménez, who had never scored at a World Cup despite playing in Qatar 2022, finally got his moment with a header in the 67th minute to make it 2-0.
Co-hosts off to a winning start!
#FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 11, 2026
South Africa’s night went from bad to worse in the 84th minute when substitute Themba Zwane was sent off after VAR review for striking Mexico’s Roberto Alvarado. Not to be left out, Mexico also had a player dismissed, with defender César Montes shown a controversial red card for a last-ditch challenge near the box.
By the final whistle, three players had been sent off, the most red cards ever shown in a World Cup opening match. The only other time an opener saw multiple red cards was back in 1990, when Cameroon stunned defending champions Argentina with ten men on the pitch.
What’s Next
With Mexico picking up all three points to open Group A, attention now shifts to the rest of the tournament’s debut weekend. South Korea and Czechia were also in action on opening day, and Canada gets its turn on Friday in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina, complete with its own opening ceremony featuring Canadian stars Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé. The United States rounds things out later that evening in Los Angeles.
For Mexico, though, this was a night to remember. A first-ever opener win, a record-breaking number of red cards, and a ceremony that gave the world a proper welcome to its largest World Cup yet. If this is how the tournament starts, fans everywhere are in for quite a ride.