Mexico Open the World Cup With a Win on Home Soil

Mexico delivered the opening night the tournament needed. According to Reuters, the co-hosts beat South Africa 2-0 in the inaugural match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, sending fans across the country into celebration.

Reuters reports that scenes of joy swept through Mexico following the final whistle, with supporters flooding streets across the nation as their team delivered on the enormous pressure of playing the tournament's first match on home soil.

The fixture itself carried a neat piece of history, as Reuters notes it reprised the match that kicked off the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when Mexico and the host nation also faced each other in the opening game.

Coach Javier Aguirre had spoken of balancing youth and experience in his squad, and on the biggest possible occasion, the approach paid off to send the hosts and their fans into the tournament with a spring in their step.