At long last, the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway.
All eyes will be on Thursday’s opening slate as tournament co-host Mexico faces a lot of pressure after an unsuccessful 2022 campaign in Qatar that saw it get knocked out in the group stage. “El Tri” will open against South Africa at Mexico City Stadium, which will become the first venue to host games at three different men’s World Cup tournaments.
The nightcap will be at Guadalajara Stadium, where South Korea will take on a Czechia team making its first World Cup appearance since 2006.
Group A Preview: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia
Here’s what you need to know about Thursday’s matches:
How to Watch
- When: Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET
- Where: Mexico City Stadium
- TV: FOX
- Stream: Watch 3 days free on FOX One, Watch free on Tubi, FOX Sports
Following Mexico’s embarrassing suspension from the 1990 World Cup, “El Tri” superior out of the group phases within the subsequent seven World Cups. That run was snapped in Qatar 4 years in the past when the staff completed with 4 factors however completed behind runners-up Poland on purpose differential in Group C.
Mexico enjoying at house is a distinct story. The furthest that Mexico has ever gone within the World Cup was to the quarterfinals in 1970 and 1986, which coincidentally are the 2 instances it has hosted the match. The middle of all of it is the newly renovated Mexico Metropolis Stadium, which is without doubt one of the sport’s all-time nice venues. It isn’t simply the place Mexico has been its most profitable, however it’s additionally the place Pele and Diego Maradona have been topped World Cup champions.
The strain going through Mexico, at the moment 14th within the FIFA World Rankings, to win at the very least one recreation within the knockout rounds is immense.
Javier Aguirre will coach Mexico for this third time within the World Cup after main the staff in 2002 and 2010 the place they misplaced to america and Argentina, respectively, within the Spherical of 16. He at the moment has the Mexican staff enjoying nice soccer as “El Tri” has not misplaced in eight video games in 2026. That run consists of spectacular attracts towards Belgium and Portugal in March, and a 1-0 win over Australia and a 5-1 win over Serbia in its two latest tune-up friendlies. In 2025, Mexico swept by means of the CONCACAF competitions, profitable the Nations League and the Gold Cup.
Awaiting Mexico on Thursday will likely be South Africa, in a recreation that mirrors the opening recreation of the 2010 World Cup when Bafana Bafan hosted “El Tri” in a 1-1 attract Johannesburg.
(Photograph by Manuel Velasquez/Getty Photos)
South Africa enters this recreation because the underdog. At present sixtieth within the FIFA World Rankings, South Africa has by no means superior to the knockout phases of the World Cup. Bafana Bafana’s solely three appearances within the match ended within the group stage in 1998, 2002, and 2010 as hosts.
South Africa certified for the World Cup by profitable Group C of the CAF qualifying match. This achievement was much more spectacular on condition that South Africa was penalized for fielding an ineligible participant in a 2-0 win over Lesotho. Consequently, Lesotho have been awarded a 3-0 win. However South Africa nonetheless completed one level above Nigeria to prime the group for automated qualification.
Coached by Belgian Hugo Broos, South Africa enters this recreation enjoying poorly. Earlier within the yr, its African Cup of Nations run ended unconvincingly within the Spherical of 16. Within the March friendlies, the staff drew and misplaced in two video games towards Panama. The tune-up friendlies noticed the staff play solely marginally higher with a 0-0 draw towards Nicaragua adopted by a 1-0 win over Jamaica.
Participant to Watch
The Chicago native and former U.S. youth worldwide has been an excellent pickup for Mexico since wooing him away from its northern rivals on the finish of 2025. The Chivas midfielder has appeared in seven video games for “El Tri” in 2026 and has instantly made himself necessary to Aguirre’s plans.
In these seven video games, Mexico has not misplaced and Gutierrez has two targets together with an help. Within the ultimate tune-up final week, Mexico defeated Serbia 5-1 and Gutierrez was arguably the very best participant within the discipline, helping on Mexico’s first purpose. Now, Gutierrez will possible be tasked with serving to to regulate the midfield within the World Cup opener.
Easy methods to Watch
- When: Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET
- Where: Guadalajara Stadium
- TV: FS1
- Stream: Watch 3 days free on FOX One, FOXSports.com, FOX Sports App
South Korea will open its eleventh consecutive World Cup look on Tuesday evening at Guadalajara Stadium when the Taegeuk Warriors tackle Czechia, who will likely be making its first look on the World Cup since 2006.
Ranked No. 25 within the FIFA Rankings, South Korea has each cause to really feel assured heading into this match because the staff went undefeated in World Cup qualifying, profitable 11 and drawing 5 out of the 16 video games.
Hong Myung-bo will coach South Korea for the second time at a World Cup after beforehand main the 2014 marketing campaign the place the staff didn’t get out of the group stage. Hong took the job in 2024 after Jürgen Klinsmann was fired amid nice publicity. As a participant, Hong is taken into account the best defender in South Korea’s historical past and he completed with 136 appearances, together with a run to the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup. As a supervisor, he led South Korea to the bronze medal on the 2012 Olympics.
The expectations are excessive for South Korea at this World Cup given the energy of its World Cup qualifying file. However a hungry Czechia staff awaits.
Czechia want penalties to advance to the World Cup. (Photograph by Sebastian Widmann – UEFA/UEFA through Getty Photos)
At present ranked forty first within the FIFA World Rankings, Czechia certified for the World Cup in thrilling vogue by means of the UEFA playoffs in March, the place they defeated the Republic of Eire and Denmark, each through a shootout after every recreation ended 2-2. However Czechia additionally had a tough patch in qualifying that included a 5-1 loss to Croatia and a shocking 2-1 loss to the Faroe Islands. That loss noticed head coach Ivan Hasek fired and ultimately changed by 74-year-old Miroslav Koubek on the finish of 2025.
All through its qualifying run, the Czechs thrived on set items with 50% of all targets coming from set items, together with all 4 of their targets within the March playoffs.
Czechia has been very inconsistent and really troublesome to foretell however its success on this match and on this opening recreation towards South Korea will come right down to set-pieces and whether or not South Korea can neutralize Czechia’s largest energy.
Participant to Watch
“Sonny” is probably the most adorned and most profitable participant within the historical past of Asian soccer. The 33-year-old ahead has 144 appearances with South Korea the place he has scored 56 targets and is now the staff’s captain. Now enjoying for Los Angeles FC in MLS, Son achieved fame enjoying for main European golf equipment together with German golf equipment Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen earlier than transferring to Tottenham Hotspur, the place he turned a membership legend. It was in North London the place he gained the Premier League Golden Boot for the 2021-22 season together with Mohamed Salah with 23 targets. The next season he scored his a centesimal Premier League purpose and in 2023 he was named Tottenham’s captain.
Son has been extremely profitable for South Korea’s nationwide staff, however he has by no means gained a World Cup knockout recreation. For a participant of his stature, that’s the final purpose this summer time and a win over Czechia would go a great distance in direction of giving him the platform to take action.
