Mexico kicks off its 2026 World Cup campaign—and indeed the tournament itself—on Thursday when it takes on South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
El Tri, co-hosting the competition alongside the United States and Canada, enters the tournament in red-hot form. Fresh off winning the 2025 Gold Cup, Javier Aguirre’s side has also picked up impressive friendly victories over Ghana, Australia and Serbia in the buildup, fueling belief that it can make a deep run on home soil.
