Mexico City, Jun 11 (V7N) – The four-year wait for football fans is set to end as the curtain rises on the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, the tournament marks a new chapter in football history as it features 48 teams for the first time.

Ahead of the opening match, a star-studded opening ceremony is scheduled to entertain fans around the world. Four-time Grammy Award-winning singer Shakira will headline the event, joined by Colombian artist J Balvin and South African singer Tyla.

The opening match will see hosts Mexico take on South Africa at Estadio Azteca on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. local time (1:00 a.m. Bangladesh time). The fixture revives memories of the 2010 FIFA World Cup opener in Johannesburg, where the two sides played out a 1-1 draw.

The match will also create a unique milestone in football history, as Estadio Azteca becomes the first stadium to host opening matches in three different World Cups after previously doing so in 1970 and 1986.

Mexico enter the tournament as clear favourites, buoyed by home support from more than 80,000 fans and an impressive run of form. Under head coach Javier Aguirre, El Tri are unbeaten in eight consecutive matches and recently secured victories over Australia, Ghana and Serbia in warm-up fixtures.

Aguirre is expected to field an attacking lineup, with Raul Rangel in goal, Cesar Montes and Johan Vazquez leading the defence, while Brian Gutierrez and Alvaro Fidalgo control the midfield. Veteran striker Raul Jimenez and winger Julian Quinones are expected to spearhead the attack.

South Africa, meanwhile, return to the World Cup stage after a 16-year absence. Head coach Hugo Broos is likely to adopt a defensive and counter-attacking approach. Captain Ronwen Williams will marshal the side from goal, while Teboho Mokoena's creativity in midfield and the pace of Lyle Foster and Oswin Appollis will be key attacking weapons.

South Africa's preparations have been less than ideal, with visa-related complications affecting several players and limiting the team's time to adapt to local conditions. The side also enter the tournament without a win in their last three friendly matches.

Historically, Mexico hold a slight advantage in meetings between the two nations, winning two of their previous four encounters. South Africa have won once, while the other match ended in a draw.

Both teams are placed in Group A alongside South Korea and the Czech Republic. Under the expanded tournament format, the top two teams from each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the newly introduced Round of 32.

END/SMA/AJ