Why was FIFA World Cup 2026 opener kick-off was delayed by five minutes?
Mexico and South Africa face off in the FIFA World Cup 2026 opener at Estadio Azteca tonight.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 began tonight, with co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. After a grand opening ceremony, which featured, among other celebrities, Shakira and Burna Boy, the focus turned to the on-field action between El Tri and Bafana Bafana.
David Guetta and Andrea Bocelli sang the FIFA anthem. Following this, under the new guidelines released by FIFA, the entire squads – starting XI and bench players – of both sides walked out onto the pitch, surrounded by massive flags covering most of the playing surface. The players sang along to the national anthems.
Why was the kick-off delayed?
Like everything else in this year’s World Cup, the walkout procedure was expanded as well, and this took slightly longer than anticipated. As a result, by the time the national anthems were wrapped up and the players were ready for kick-off, it was already five minutes past the scheduled kick-off time of 12:30 AM IST.
El Tri began the match well against a defensively minded Bafana Bafana, with Julian Quinones scoring for the home side in the ninth minute. This led to an outburst of joy from the sold-out Azteca crowd, who were making themselves heard throughout the contest.
Where is the Mexico vs South Africa FIFA World Cup 2026 match being played?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 opener is being played at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Where to watch the Mexico vs South Africa match live?
Fans in India can watch the match live on the Zee5 app and website. The television broadcast will take place on the Unite8 Sports Network TV channels.
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Sushruta has spent over two years covering football, with a particular focus on Indian and international competitions. Alongside football, he has reported on a variety of sports, bringing curiosity and perspective to every story. When he’s not following the action, he can usually be found binge-watching movies or getting lost in a good book.