The FIFA World Cup is almost upon us after a star-studded opening ceremony featuring legendary singer Shakira kicking off the tournament in Mexico.
Mexico play host to South Africa at the Azteca to kick off the 2026 edition of the famous tournament.
It will be the largest in World Cup history as 48 nations compete for the ultimate sporting prize – among them England, Scotland, and bookies’ favourites Spain. Kick-off in the first game is tonight at Mexico City Stadium, where a sell-out crowd of 83,000 is expected as the hosts play South Africa.
Tuchel’s Three Lions will face their first opponents Croatia on June 17, while Steve Clarke’s Tartan Army go head-to-head with Haiti on June 13. England won their final warm-up friendly 3-0 against Costa Rica last night, with Jude Bellingham particularly impressing.
The last 48 hours have already seen hordes of fans arrive in the three host nations Mexico, Canada and the United States, each hoping their side will go on to book a date with destiny at the final in New Jersey on July 19.
But someone who will not be joining the fun is Somalian referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States this week after a 19-hour interrogation at Miami airport. It comes amid ongoing fears that Donald Trump’s ICE immigration enforcement officers could detain undocumented fans. And then there’s the ongoing war between the US and Iran, with their national team now playing their games in Mexico in a late rescheduling move.
‘Extortionate’ ticket fees of up to thousands of dollars per game and price gouging from hotels and public transport providers have also cast a shadow over the event. An expanding tournament means more people than ever are expected to watch the action unfold, with experts estimating over five billion people could tune in over the next six weeks.
