Mexico City, June 11, 2026: The FIFA World Cup 2026 officially kicks off on Thursday, with co-hosts Mexico facing South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, marking the start of a historic 48-team tournament set to run for nearly six weeks.
The tournament, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, is the largest World Cup in history and will culminate in the final scheduled for July 19 in New Jersey. FIFA projects the event to generate a record-breaking USD 13 billion in revenue.
However, the build-up to the tournament has been overshadowed by criticism over sharply rising ticket prices and concerns related to visa restrictions in the United States. Reports indicate that some ticket prices have exceeded USD 30,000, sparking debate over affordability and accessibility for fans.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the pricing structure during a media briefing in Mexico City on Wednesday, saying the organisation had made a limited number of low-cost tickets available in response to public criticism.
“Our entry price, which is 60 dollars, is the lowest entry price of any of the American sports in the play-off phases,” Infantino said, adding that the average ticket price remains below USD 500, which he described as comparatively lower than other major sports events in the United States.
Addressing concerns regarding visa and entry issues, Infantino acknowledged challenges faced by some individuals, including the case of Somali World Cup referee Omar Artan, who was reportedly denied entry into the United States after arriving in Miami. FIFA later confirmed that Artan would not participate in the tournament.
“It is unfortunate what happened to the referee from Somalia. We don’t control everything… Sometimes it’s good to chill, relax, we work on everything, we try to solve everything,” he said.
Infantino also highlighted Iran’s participation in the tournament amid geopolitical tensions, describing it as a significant achievement for FIFA in maintaining global sporting inclusion.
“People were saying Iran couldn’t come to the World Cup. There are challenges, it’s not easy, but I don’t know who else would have been able to ensure in these circumstances that Iran could come and play,” he said.
The FIFA President’s close relationship with US President Donald Trump has also drawn scrutiny. However, Infantino praised Trump’s involvement in the tournament’s organisation. Trump, meanwhile, confirmed he plans to attend several matches.
“I spoke to Gianni this morning… he said there’s never been anything close to the success of the coming tournament,” Trump said.
On the sporting front, South Africa coach Hugo Broos warned his team to withstand the intense atmosphere expected at the Estadio Azteca, where more than 85,000 Mexican fans are expected to create a “wall of noise” during the opening match.
“They will have 85,000 Mexicans shouting and singing. But we have to focus on our game,” Broos said.
Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre said his side is determined to break their poor record in opening matches, having failed to win any of their previous seven World Cup openers.
“We have to break the statistic. It will be another source of motivation,” he said.
Elsewhere on the opening day, South Korea will face the Czech Republic in Guadalajara as the tournament gets underway across multiple host cities.
Pre-tournament favourites include Spain, France and England, while defending champions Argentina will look to veteran forward Lionel Messi to inspire another deep run.
England, meanwhile, concluded their preparations with a 3–0 friendly win over Costa Rica, despite a weather delay in Orlando. Coach Thomas Tuchel praised his side’s intensity after goals from Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins.
“Until now, it was more a feeling of a pre-season, like an overseas pre-season. I think we set the tone today,” Tuchel said.
