World Cup 2026 opens in Mexico City as football’s biggest tournament begins

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off Thursday in Mexico City, launching what is set to be the largest edition of football’s most-watched tournament.

The competition will run from June 11 to July 19 across 16 cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The opening ceremony began at 6:30 p.m. local time, 90 minutes before the tournament’s first match between Mexico and South Africa at Estadio Azteca. The stadium became the first venue in history to host matches in three separate World Cups, having previously staged games in 1970 and 1986.

More than 80,000 spectators filled the stadium for the approximately 16-minute ceremony, which FIFA described as a celebration of Mexican culture through music, dance and artistic performances featuring indigenous talent and contemporary folkloric artists.

The show included giant representations of the World Cup trophy created using papel picado, the traditional Mexican folk art known for its intricate cut-paper designs.

Shakira and Burna Boy headlined the event, performing the official tournament song, “Dai Dai.” They were joined by Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla.

Fernández opened the ceremony with Mexico’s national anthem, accompanied by thousands of fans inside the stadium. Legendary rock band Maná performed its 1992 hit “Oye Mi Amor,” while Venezuelan singer Danny Ocean appeared alongside dancers from the Ballet Folklórico de México.

The opening ceremonies across the three host nations were produced by Marco Balich, the creative director behind several Olympic ceremonies.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the events would bring together “music, culture and football in a way that reflects both the individuality of each nation and the unity that defines this tournament.”

The 2026 edition is the first World Cup to feature 48 teams, an expansion from the 32-team format used at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. A total of 104 matches will be played over 39 days.

FIFA estimates that approximately 6 billion people will engage with the tournament through television broadcasts, streaming services and digital platforms. The 2022 World Cup final alone attracted an estimated global audience of 1.5 billion viewers.

For many supporters, the tournament also carries emotional significance.

“This will probably be the last World Cup for many football legends,” Moroccan football fan Ahmed Masbah told Hespress English.

Morocco enters the tournament ranked eighth in the FIFA world rankings, making the Atlas Lions the highest-ranked national team in Africa. Expectations are high following the team’s historic run to the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup, where Morocco became the first African and Arab nation to reach the final four.

The Atlas Lions have been drawn in Group C alongside Brazil, Scotland and Haiti. Morocco will open its campaign June 13 in New York against five-time world champions Brazil in one of the tournament’s most anticipated group-stage matches.

As the 2026 World Cup officially gets underway, Moroccan supporters are hoping the Atlas Lions can once again make history on football’s biggest stage.