It is all systems go in Mexico as football fans around the world await the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday.
As the co-hosts prepare to take on South Africa at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said everything was “under control”.
She said, however, that ongoing protests by teachers may see the city’s famed Zocalo square unable to host a planned fan zone.
This year’s expanded tournament is co-hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada with 48 teams playing in 16 stadiums in a record 104 matches over 39 days.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has once again promised the World Cup will be an unprecedented global spectacle.
