Mexico opens 2026 World Cup with vibrant ceremony at Azteca Stadium and victory over South Africa

Shakira and Burna Boy debut the official song

Colombian singer Shakira was the biggest star of the night, performing the official World Cup song 'Dai Dai' live for the first time together with Nigerian Afrobeats musician Burna Boy. The source article noted: 'Der größte Star der Show am Donnerstag war die kolumbianische Sängerin Shakira, die zusammen mit dem nigerianischen Sänger Burna Boy den offiziellen WM-Song "Dai Dai" sang.' Shakira is also scheduled to appear at halftime of the World Cup final. Other artists performing at the ceremony included Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, and Alejandro Fernández.

Crowd control and a city on edge

Lila Downs welcomed the football world during the ceremony, singing the line: 'Willkommen in Mexiko, willkommen zur Weltmeisterschaft 2026.' A restricted zone was set up around the stadium in the south of Mexico City, beginning about 1.5 kilometers away, with only authorized vehicles allowed to pass further. Fans were directed onward on foot, by bicycle or scooter, and a staff member used a megaphone to call out: 'Hört auf zu drängeln, es gibt Kinder, ihr benehmt euch wie Tiere.'

A third World Cup for the Azteca

At least six demonstrations were planned in Mexico City on Thursday, and a teachers' union had blocked the stadium two days before the opening. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum gave away her ticket for the opening match. The tournament has been described as 'nicht unumstritten', a description preserved here verbatim from the source.

Mexico's team selection and South Africa's long road back

The 2026 World Cup is the third tournament held at the Azteca Stadium, after 1970 and 1986, and Mexico is hosting a World Cup for the third time overall. The Azteca Stadium sits at more than 2,200 meters above sea level. Mexico reached the quarterfinals at both of its previous World Cups as host, in 1970 and 1986. Mexico's national team is nicknamed 'El Tri'.

Goals and red cards reshape the opener

The tournament will run for five and a half weeks in Mexico, Canada and the United States. FIFA President Gianni Infantino limited his appearance to briefly presenting the trophy shortly before kickoff, as the source article noted: 'auch Fifa-Präsident Gianni Infantino beschränkte sich darauf, kurz vor Anpfiff für einen Moment den Pokal zu präsentieren.'

A 17-year-old makes Mexican World Cup history

After the ceremony, the Mexico and South Africa players began warm-up on the pitch at the Azteca Stadium. The match kicked off at 1:05 PM local time, five minutes later than scheduled, after both squads lined up around the center circle for the anthem. This was South Africa's first World Cup finals appearance since hosting the 2010 tournament, and the 2010 World Cup also opened with a match between Mexico and South Africa.

Coach Javier Aguirre kept the starting goalkeeper choice a secret and selected 26-year-old Raúl Rangel of Chivas from the domestic league. Veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, 40, began the tournament on the bench for what is his sixth World Cup. Both Aguirre and South Africa head coach Hugo Broos, a Belgian, were players at the 1986 World Cup. South Africa's squad is listed at a total market value of 49.25 million euros across 26 players.

Mexico had played in five World Cup opening matches, with the first in 1930; before the 2026 win they had three losses and two draws. Julián Quiñones scored Mexico's first goal in the 9th minute, and Raúl Jiménez added a second in the 67th minute. South Africa's captain and goalkeeper is Ronwen Williams. South Africa's 'Bafana Bafana' arrived in Mexico with a delay due to visa issues.

The match turned chippy in the second half. Yaya Sithole of South Africa received a red card in the 49th minute for a professional foul, described in the source as a 'Notbremse'. Themba Zwane received a second red in the 84th minute for violent conduct after a video review, and in stoppage time Mexico's César Montes was also sent off in the 90+2 minute. A forum commenter expressed the opinion that none of the three red cards were deserved, calling the refereeing overly strict: 'Für mich war keine der Roten Karten so wirklich eine rote Karte. ... Ich hoffe diese super super strenge Auslegung kam nur vom Schiedsrichter...'

South Africa finished the match with nine players. The 2026 World Cup features fixed drinking breaks during matches, and as the source article noted, the breaks did not change the rhythm of the game: 'Auch die Unterbrechung durch die bei dieser WM fixen Trinkpausen veränderte den Rhythmus des Spiels nicht.'

A notable youth moment came in the 66th minute, when Aguirre sent on 17-year-old Gilberto Mora, making him Mexico's youngest-ever World Cup player at 17 years and 240 days, as described: 'Nach 66 Minuten wurde es erneut stimmungsvoll im Aztekenstadion. Trainer Aguirre wechselte den erst 17 Jahre und 240 Tage alten Gilberto Mora ein, der damit zu Mexikos jüngstem WM-Spieler avancierte.' The source article also lists player profile data, including Raúl Jiménez at FC Fulham (contract until 30 June 2026, market value 3.00 million euros), and separately references Jiménez at Al-Qadsiah FC (contract until 30 June 2029, market value 14.00 million euros).

The opener set the tone for a five-and-a-half-week tournament across three North American host nations. With Mexico's first opening-match victory in nearly a century of World Cup football, and a celebrity-led ceremony fronted by Shakira, the 2026 finals began as FIFA had framed them: a fusion of sport, music and culture with Mexico at the center.

The opening ceremony started slightly late and the on-pitch show lasted only about 20 minutes, a brief burst of color before the football took over. Even as the tournament is described in source reporting as 'nicht unumstritten', Thursday's ceremony delivered the spectacle FIFA had promised, and a result gave the host nation an early lift at the start of a long road to the final.