FIFA’s showpiece tournament is back, and you can follow all the build up to the musical show and beautiful game.
2026 World Cup opening ceremony ahead of Mexico vs South Africa live: Artists, music, updates | Shakira, Burna Boy…
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2026 World Cup opening ceremony countdown
The ghost of 2010
Mention Mexico and South Africa in the same sentence and many soccer fans immediately think of one image.
Siphiwe Tshabalala's thunderbolt in Johannesburg. The goal that launched the 2010 World Cup.
The goal that launched a month of noise, colour and vuvuzelas (remember those annoying plastic trumpets?!).
Sixteen years later, the teams meet again to open another tournament.
Different players.
Different stadium.
Different continent-wide World Cup.
Yet somehow we've got this neat story circling back to the same fixture. As a sportswriter, I just love symmetry.
FIFA probably isn't complaining either... but did you know that the rules for who plays in the opening game have changed?
You can always tell when a World Cup is about to start.
Suddenly everybody has a prediction. Every former player has a bracket. Every television network has a dark horse.
And then there are the supporters, each convinced their team has finally secretly solved the [weak wing play / lack of goals / suspect goalkeeper] that was holding them back all these years.
And for a brief, beautiful moment, everyone might be right.
This is the stage of the tournament where optimism is undefeated.
Nobody has been eliminated.
Nobody has suffered heartbreak.
Nobody has spent three hours arguing with a referee decision on social media.
Give it time, though. It's coming to most of us...
And if you want a prediction model that knows its stuff, check out the attached story that our Will put reported on.
The three-country World Cup experiment
One of the most fascinating things about this World Cup is that nobody has ever attempted something on this scale before.
Three host nations.
Sixteen host cities.
An entire continent involved in staging the tournament.
Mexico gets the opening day spotlight.
Canada gets its own opening celebrations tomorrow.
Then the United States follows with its own launch event as the tournament spreads across North America.
For fans, it means a World Cup that feels less like a tournament in one country and more like a month-long continental festival.
The logistical planners probably have a different word for it. And we'll no doubt all look back as domestic season return in the coming months and reflect on how well it turned out.
Shakira's South African impact
While Colombian, and helping to open up the 2026 extravaganza in Mexico, it's worth remembering that Shakira also gave us this iconic track back in that South Africa tournament in 2010.
Relive it now.
South Africa's long road back
It's a little weird, given how busy life can be, but I find that World Cups have a way of compressing time.
The last South African men's team to play in a World Cup opener did so in 2010.
That doesn't sound that long ago until someone reminds you that smartphones were still relatively new, streaming was in its infancy and a large chunk of the players taking the field today were just young kids.
For South Africa, simply returning to the tournament represents a major achievement.
Now comes the difficult part.
Their first assignment is a host nation playing in front of more than 80,000 supporters in one of the sport's most intimidating stadiums.
Not exactly easing into the tournament.
But World Cups aren't supposed to be easy.
That's why we watch.
The opening ceremony Is more than a concert
Every World Cup opening ceremony faces the same challenge.
How do you represent an entire country in less than an hour?
It's impossible, of course.
But that doesn't stop anyone from trying.
Mexico's ceremony is expected to showcase the country's culture, music and traditions before the first ball is kicked, while FIFA has assembled a star-studded lineup for the occasion – as shared below – with Shakira and Burna Boy headlining.
For some fans – quick shout out to my daughters who'll likely turn off when the actual sport begins – the ceremony is essential viewing.
For others, it's simply the thing standing between them and kickoff.
Both groups will be watching.
What's Mexico's World Cup opener history?
Some World Cup facts sound completely made up.
Here's one.
Mexico has never won a World Cup opening match.
Not once.
Despite appearing in numerous tournaments and despite hosting before, El Tri enter today's game still looking for that elusive first opening-day victory.
Which means the pressure isn't only about starting the tournament well: it's about ending a statistic.
The kind of statistic that gets mentioned every 15 minutes on television broadcasts. The kind of statistic that follows a team around like an annoying relative at a family barbecue.
South Africa, meanwhile, will happily volunteer to extend that streak.
The hosts carry the expectation.
The visitors carry the freedom.
That combination has produced plenty of surprises throughout World Cup history.
The World Cup gets bigger than ever
Going back to the theme about size, and whether it matters, this tournament is going to feel different.
Not because the trophy changed.
Not because the rules changed (although maybe a little).
Because the scale changed.
The 2026 World Cup is the biggest in history, featuring 48 teams and a staggering 104 matches spread across North America. That's nearly 50% more teams than many fans grew up watching.
There are more countries dreaming.
More supporters travelling.
More storylines waiting to emerge.
And almost certainly more debates about the format from people who haven't stopped talking about the format for the last two years.
By the time the final arrives in July, many millions of fans will have watched games in Mexico, Canada and the United States. For today, though, all roads lead to Mexico City.
Every World Cup has certain traditions.
Brazil wearing yellow.
England discussing penalties.
And Guillermo Ochoa suddenly pretending to be the greatest goalkeeper on Earth.
The veteran Mexican keeper has built one of the most remarkable World Cup reputations of any player in modern soccer. No matter what happens during club seasons, World Cups seem to unlock a different version of Ochoa. And he's back.
Now the question is whether he can once again find himself in Mexico's plans.
If you've followed World Cups for the last two decades, you already know why fans are fascinated by the possibility.
Our Paul had a look at the chances of him being part of the tournament opener.
How many players are at the 2026 World Cup? It's a question that has been doing the round and the answer aids Donald Trump's continued claim about this being the “biggest ever”.
Well, he's right to say that. When you increase the number of teams involved from 32 to 48, the facts are clear. There are 1,248 players represented across those nations... assuming he doesn't deport anyone else!
48 nations await the start
As you'll have already noted, I'll be building up to the action by jumping between music and soccer. It's the perfect mix!
In case you are in any doubt about the rest of the nations involved this tournament, and their respective groups, here's a handy graphic.
Dai Dai
OK, here's a little something to get you in the mood...
In addition to headlining the halftime show at the World Cup final – a lot is going to happen before July 19 – Shakira will take to the stage at today's opening ceremony in Mexico City.
The Colombian superstar and Burna Boy are set to perform the rather catchy “Dai Dai,” the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Shakira and Burna Boy will be joined by several other artists at Estadio Ciudad de México for the opening celebration, which gets underway at 1:30 p.m. ET, 90 minutes before Mexico vs South Africa kicks off.
Confirmed performers in Mexico
Alejandro Fernández
Belinda
Burna Boy
Danny Ocean
J Balvin
Lila Downs
Los Ángeles Azules
Maná
Shakira
Tyla
Why the Azteca still matters
Modern soccer has plenty of shiny new stadiums, like at Real Madrid and Tottenham. Retractable roofs. Giant video boards. Luxury suites the size of small apartments.
And then there's the Azteca.
The stadium doesn't need to tell you how important it is. Its history does that for it.
As I said, this afternoon the venue becomes the first ever to host three World Cup opening matches, adding another remarkable milestone to a stadium already overflowing with football mythology.
Fans arriving today aren't just walking into a sporting venue. They're walking into one of the most important locations in soccer history.
The altitude adds another layer to the challenge. At roughly 7,200 feet above sea level, visiting teams quickly discover that breathing can become an unexpected opponent. Mexico knows these conditions well. South Africa has spent extra time preparing for them. Even so, preparation and reality don't always have the same opinion.
The Azteca has a habit of making ordinary games feel historic. The opening game of a World Cup barely needs the help.
The greatest show on Earth
You may have heard that line at your passing circus but don't be believing that shouty man with the hat and tights. This is the GOAT of sporting shows!
For the next few hours, and then for the next month, soccer will take over the planet. Office productivity will not so mysteriously decline. Sleep schedules will be sacrificed. People who haven't watched a game since the last World Cup will suddenly become experts on pressing systems and midfield triangles. It happens every four years, and honestly, I think it's part of the charm.
Today it all begins in Mexico City, where the legendary Estadio Azteca becomes the first stadium in history to host matches in three different World Cups. Pelé played here. Maradona played here. Countless soccer dreams have either been born or shattered here. Today, another chapter gets added to the story.
The opening match sees Mexico face South Africa, a fixture that carries a strange sense of déjà vu. The last time these two nations met at a World Cup, it was also the opening game of the tournament. That was Johannesburg in 2010. Sixteen years later, they're doing it all over again, only now the stage belongs to Mexico.
Before the soccer comes the spectacle. Before the tactics, the nerves and the drama comes the music, the colour and the noise. This is World Cup opening day, and subtlety was never invited.
World Cup 2026 opening ceremony: welcome
Hello and welcome to AS USA's World Cup 2026 live blog where I'll be taking you from now right the way through to the opening ceremony, before handing you over to my colleagues ahead of the first whistle of the tournament.
Picture this: Shakira's voice echoing through Azteca, Burna Boy's beats setting hearts racing, and 87,000 fans ready to write history. Mexico vs South Africa is the headline, but this is your front-row seat to every note, every kick, and every story.
Buckle up – this isn’t just a musical show and a game; it’s the start of the month we’ve all been waiting for!
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