The biggest World Cup ever opens on Thursday with 48 teams, 104 matches, three host nations and mounting anger at ticket prices and a US immigration crackdown that has seen fans, a top referee and team officials barred from the tournament. The tournament kicks off in Mexico City’s storied Azteca Stadium with hosts Mexico facing South Africa, marking a return to the World Cup stage for the iconic venue that hosted matches in 1970 and 1986. Read moreWorld Cup 2026: The full match schedule There are unprecedented logistical challenges to staging a three-country event across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The US will host the majority of the games, at a time of rising inflation, political tensions and the ongoing war in Iran. Escalating social tensions in Mexico have also threatened to derail the party, with protesters blocking off access to the main plaza set to host the country’s main fan celebrations on the eve of the opening ceremony. All of that is separate from the on-field drama that will play over nearly six weeks, through to the July 19 final at the MetLife Stadium near New York City. “This will be the biggest, the most inclusive, the greatest FIFA World Cup ever,” declared FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has predicted 7 million fans will pack the stadiums and 6 billion more will be watching from afar. Travel bans The Trump administration’s immigration policies have already ensured the tournament has largely failed the inclusivity test, even before it begins. The decision to drop award-winning Somali referee Omar Artan after he was barred from entering the US has been met with outrage around the world. President Donald Trump has been a big supporter of the World Cup coming to America, repeatedly hosting Infantino at the White House and speaking in glowing terms about the tournament. Infantino has gone to great lengths to strengthen those relations, awarding Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize last year after he was overlooked for the Nobel Prize. A Tiffany-crafted golden Club World Cup trophy has also sat in the Oval Office since the US hosted the tournament last year.