2026 World Cup kicks off today in Mexico City: What fans need to know before kickoff

For the German team, their first match in Group E against underdog Curaçao (June 14, 7:00 PM, live on ARD as well as in the livestream and audio stream on sportschau.de) is drawing ever closer. The most valuable German players are Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala, each valued at 100 million euros. Remarkably: German national player Alexander Pavlovic is valued at 90 million euros. At 6:45 PM (CET), national players Jonathan Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck will face questions from journalists at a press conference at the DFB quarters, "what the two defensive specialists have to say."

New Rules and Adjustments

Due to the expanded field of participants, the tournament format has been adjusted. "That's why there is now a round of 32 after the group stage, followed by the round of 16. The 48 teams are divided into twelve groups of four. The group winners and runners-up advance, as do the eight best third-placed teams. After the group stage, play continues in a knockout format."

The rules of play have also been modified. "There will be one drink break per half due to the high temperatures in the USA, Mexico and Canada." A sixth substitute may be brought on during extra time. Normally, five substitutions are allowed during a match. "A substituted player has ten seconds to leave the field. In case of a violation, the incoming player may only enter the pitch with delay once there is another stoppage in play after at least one minute." "The eight-second rule applies not only to goalkeepers but also to throw-ins. If a player takes too much time, possession changes." "In addition, the video referee receives extended access rights, for example to review corner kicks and second yellow cards."

Records and Special Stories

The opening match is a rematch: In 2010, the world tournament was held in South Africa — and the "Bafana Bafana" also had to face the Central Americans in the opening match of that World Cup. The two teams drew 1:1 on that occasion. On June 12, further shows are set to take place in Toronto (Canada) and Los Angeles (USA) "so that all three host countries can present themselves." Each of the three host countries has its own mascot: "For Canada, the moose Maple takes the field, for Mexico it's the jaguar Zayu, and for the USA, the bald eagle Clutch is in the running."

On a personnel level, there are several records to report. "Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, who is making history with his sixth World Cup appearance, as well as Guillermo Ochoa, Luka Modrić and Edin Dzeko (all 40) are also among the frontrunners. Manuel Neuer, at 40, is the sixth-oldest professional." Scotland's goalkeeper Craig Gordon, at 43, is the oldest participant in the tournament, "20 players are at least 37 years old or older." "The youngest player is Mexico's Gilberto Mora. At the Mexican opening match on June 11, he will be 17 years old. A total of 22 players are 19 years old or younger."

Controversies Surrounding FIFA

At club level, "Pep Guardiola's Manchester City provides the most World Cup participants with 19 national players. They are followed by FC Bayern Munich (18), FC Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain (16 each) and FC Barcelona (15)." "They are Lamine Yamal (Spain) and Erling Haaland (Norway), who have a current market value of 200 million euros." "The official FIFA name of the arena is New-York-New-Jersey-Stadion due to sponsorship rights."

FIFA says it has sold more than five million tickets. "FIFA charges a 15 percent commission on every ticket sold on the resale platform." However: "the public prosecutor's offices in New Jersey, New York and California are investigating the world governing body." In addition, there are tightened entry rules in the USA, "since the Trump administration massively tightened the entry rules." For example, the US border protection agency denied entry to a Somali referee due to alleged terror contacts. "The Iranian national team and its entourage are subject to strict security regulations." "The previous attendance record, by the way, dates back to the last World Cup in the USA in 1994. Back then, over 3.5 million people watched the matches in the stadium."

In addition to the opening match Mexico vs. South Africa, another match is on the schedule for the night leading into Friday: "The match takes place at 4:00 AM at the 'Estadio Akron' in the Mexican city of Guadalajara." South Korea will then face the Czech Republic. After the festive opening, fans face a long wait until the German match on June 14 against Curaçao.