The day an entire generation has dreamed of has arrived. This Thursday, Mexico kicks off the 2026 World Cup against South Africa at Azteca Stadium, the first of 104 matches in a tournament that will feature 48 teams for the first time and is being hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada. It’s Matchday 1 of Group A, where South Korea and the Czech Republic also await, and for El Tri there’s no room for sentimentality: starting with three points at home is practically a must if they want to dream of finally breaking the curse of the fifth game.
The script has a powerful resonance. Sixteen years ago, South Africa opened its own World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Mexico thanks to Siphiwe Tshabalala’s memorable goal, which was later equalized by Rafael Márquez. Today the roles are reversed: the Mexicans are the hosts. Since this is the opening match, neither team has played a group stage game yet, so the only recent reference is their friendlies. Javier Aguirre’s El Tri is on a roll: they wrapped up their preparations with eight unbeaten friendlies in 2026, including a resounding 5-1 victory over Serbia. Bafana Bafana, led by Hugo Broos, drew 1-1 with Jamaica in their final warm-up match.
On the injury front, Aguirre heads into the opener without goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón or midfielder Marcel Ruiz, both ruled out of the squad due to injury. On the other side, South Africa is breathing a sigh of relief: its main concern, left back Aubrey Modiba —who had been dealing with a hamstring issue—completed his first full training session and is set to start, so Broos arrives with his core lineup available.
What time is Mexico vs. South Africa, and where can you watch the match?
The opening whistle is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Central Mexico Time, which for fans in Monterrey also means 1:00 p.m. sharp. In Mexico, the broadcast is shared, and fortunately, there are free options. Televisa will air the match on free-to-air channels Las Estrellas and Canal 5, while TV Azteca will broadcast it on Azteca 7. Those who prefer their cell phone or tablet can turn to streaming: ViX Premium is the platform with the rights to broadcast all 104 World Cup matches. The advice is simple: if you’re only interested in following El Tri, free-to-air TV is enough; if you want the entire tournament, the World Cup Pass is the way to go.
The stadium: the Colossus of Santa Úrsula
The venue is Azteca Stadium, officially renamed “Mexico City Stadium” during the World Cup due to FIFA’s sponsorship rules. Located in Coyoacán and with a capacity of 87,523 spectators, it is the largest stadium in Latin America and sits 2,200 meters above sea level. With this match, the Azteca becomes the first stadium in history to host three World Cup opening matches, adding to its legendary status from the 1970 and 1986 finals.
Possible lineups
Mexico (4-3-3): Rangel; Jorge Sánchez, César Montes, Johan Vásquez, Jesús Gallardo; Edson Álvarez, Erik Lira, Álvaro Fidalgo; Roberto Alvarado, Raúl Jiménez, Julián Quiñones.
South Africa (4-3-3): Ronwen Williams; Khuliso Mudau, Ime Okon, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Aubrey Modiba; Teboho Mokoena, Thalente Mbatha, Yaya Sithole; Oswin Appollis, Lyle Foster, Relebohile Mofokeng.
Interesting things to do in Monterrey:
15 September 2026 10:00 + more dates
