The 2026 World Cup opened in Mexico City with color, dancing and Shakira on the stage, then Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 inside a packed Azteca stadium to launch the tournament on home soil for the first time in 40 years.
Thousands of fans filled the 82,000-seat arena for the opener, including Javier Pérez, who said he and his family had hospitality tickets and had never been to a World Cup before. He said bringing them to the start of the tournament was a special experience, and he was hoping Mexico would begin with a win and plenty of goals.
The ceremony itself was built for the moment. Shakira, J Balvin, Burna Boy and Danny Ocean performed before the match, while Fher Olvera sang Oye Mi Amor at the stadium. One performer opened the event by saying, “Bienvenida a México. Welcome to Mexico,” and another told the crowd, “We are a nation of diversity, heritage and pride. Football carries the same heartbeat, uniting generations.” Performers wore indigenous clothing, and some appeared in all gold while holding giant golden footballs above their heads.
Outside, the mood was far less festive. Radical protesters tried to disrupt the event, and police answered with a heavy security presence that turned into clashes near the stadium. Mexican officials said nearly 200 hooded individuals broke away from two groups of around 800 protesters and fought with law enforcement, while nearby metro stations were briefly shut down. Police later said the situation had been brought under control.
The protests also carried a message beyond the World Cup itself. Teachers and families of missing people marched while Mexico was in the global spotlight, using the tournament’s opening day to press their causes as the country hosted one of the sport’s biggest stages. Mexico is co-hosting the 2026 tournament with the US and Canada, and the next round of opening ceremonies is due on Friday in the other two host countries. For Mexico, though, the first night belonged to the crowd inside the Azteca and to a team that gave them a clean start on the scoreboard.
