History will repeat itself when Mexico and South Africa face each other in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The highly anticipated clash, scheduled for June 11, 2026, at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, officially marks the first time an opening game from a past edition is repeated.
The draw, which took place in Washington D.C. on Friday, confirmed that the two nations, part of Group A with South Korea and a European play-off winner, will kick off the first-ever 48-team tournament.
The match offers a compelling narrative twist, 16 years after their original meeting in the 2010 World Cup opener held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
That match, the first on African soil, ended in a 1-1 draw, famously remembered for Siphiwe Tshabalala’s spectacular opening goal.
This time, the atmosphere will be dramatically different as Mexico hosts “Bafana Bafana” in front of their home crowd, a significant advantage for El Tri.
The match at the historic 87,523-capacity Azteca Stadium will set the stage for an expanded tournament featuring 104 games across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
For South Africa, the curtain-raiser provides another rare opportunity to make an immediate impact on the global stage.
