The party of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is about to begin. This Thursday, June 11, the most important sporting event of the year will begin with Mexico-South Africa as the opening match in the legendary Mexico City stadium, the new name that the Azteca stadium will adopt for the duration of the World Cup event.
This venue, which has many stories, will go down in the record books, as it will be the first property to host up to three opening matches. It had never happened before, likewise Mexico, whose country is the first in history to organize up to three World Cup tournaments. This 2026 it shares its headquarters with Canada and the United States.
You have to go back to the 1970 World Cup to see the Mexico City stadium host the opening match for the first time. At that time it was the Mexican team itself that played the first game of the tournament against the Soviet Union.
The match was tied 0-0, but the party that took place at that time in Mexico was one of the biggest. Just over 107 thousand people were present to watch this match live. It was only the ninth edition of the tournament organized by FIFA, so there was still a lot of expectation about the potential of the competition.
Precisely in this same venue, The Brazilian team lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy for the third timethe name by which the world champions cup was known at that time. The legendary figure of Pele He was the one who immortalized this moment in the Mexico City stadium after beating Italy 4-1 in the grand final.
After this episode, Mexico won the right again to host the 1986 World Cup. At that time, FIFA had established a regulation in which the defending champion would start in the opening match, in this case Italy, a team that won the World Cup in 1982. This is why Mexico did not play that first match on its own field.
Note that this rule was in force between the 1974 and 2002 editions. From 2006 to date, FIFA dictates that the host countries play the opening match.
Italy had just been champions in Spain, so they faced Bulgaria in that first match in Mexico. The match, beyond all expectations, ended 1-1. Some 100,000 people had the privilege of being present at the World Cup venue and experiencing this confrontation.
As happened in 1970, Mexico City Stadium hosted the grand final in 1986. That last match of the tournament was played between Argentina and West Germany. One of the most remembered images is the moment in which Diego Armando Maradona lifts the World Cup, after the Albiceleste’s 3-2 victory against the Germans.
Since then, 40 years had to pass for the Mexico City Stadium to be in the eyes of an entire planet. By 2026, this venue will once again have the opportunity to host an opening match of a FIFA World Cup.
This facility went through many adjustments and was even closed for several months. Now the stage is in optimal conditions to host Mexico-South Africa, a duel that is once again the first match of a World Cup as it happened in 2010.
Coincidentally, both matches, both the one in 2010 and the one that will take place in 2026, occurred on June 11. 16 years ago was the first time that an African country hosted a World Cup. That time Mexico and South Africa tied 1-1.
Lawrence Tshabalala scored for the South Africans, while Rafael Márquez scored for the Mexicans. The latter is currently technical assistant to Javier El Vasco Aguirre, a coach who was present at that event and also coached Mexico in Germany 2006.
The table is set for the most important national team tournament in the world. The 2026 FIFA World Cup USA, Canada and Mexico is now underway.
