The 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.The opening ceremony will be followed by Mexico taking on South Africa in the first game of the tournament, with kick off at 5:00am AEST.Later, at 12:00pm AEST, South Korea and Czechia meet at the beautiful Estadio Guadalajara.Follow all the action in our live blog. Collapse all postsFilter PostsAll14Key Events2Mexico vs South Africa4Comments1Fri 12 Jun 2026 at 4:25amFri 12 Jun 2026 at 4:25amSouth Africa ready for 'very important' opener- Reuters(Getty Images)Shall we talk about the football? Yeah, let's talk about the football.South Africa coach Hugo Broos has said his side are prepared to face Mexico's quality and home-crowd advantage, insisting they are ready to fight for every ball against the group's "strongest team"."They play good football," Broos told reporters on Wednesday."They have very good players, players who can decide a match. And playing in front of 85,000 people gives them a boost."Broos, who played for Belgium at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, where they faced El Tri in the group stage and went on to finish fourth, said South Africa would not be overawed by the occasion.He also noted adding his players had adapted to the city's altitude after arriving to the city early."We had 10 days, and I think 10 days is sufficient. From that side, I think we are ready," he said.South Africa are in Group A with Mexico, Czechia and South Korea, and Broos said the opening match could be decisive for their hopes of reaching the next round."In a group like this, it is very important to win your first game," he said."If you don't win, you are already in a difficult position."Fri 12 Jun 2026 at 4:23amFri 12 Jun 2026 at 4:23amMEXICO, MEXICO!By Amanda ShalalaHello from Mexico City! The vibe here is ELITE. I got here a couple of hours before kick off, and there were already so many people around the stadium, getting hyped up.I've barely spotted any South Africans as you could imagine, but the Mexican fans are here for it.There was so much fun and colour outside, bands, performers, dancers, all creating an amazing atmosphere, and it's even better inside the Estadio Azteca.The crowd was signing along to all the opening ceremony performers, but the biggest cheer so far came when the Mexican players came onto the pitch for the warm-up.It's so exciting I could almost cry!Fri 12 Jun 2026 at 4:21amFri 12 Jun 2026 at 4:21amMexico and it's love-hate affair with the World CupBy Simon Smale(ABC Sport)Amanda Shalala is in Mexico City, the lucky duck, and has been exploring just what this World Cup means to the people of this football-mad nation.As she discovered, the love affair can be a tortured one, especially when FIFA rolls into town.Read her excellent piece right here, along with her gorgeous photos from on the ground.Fri 12 Jun 2026 at 4:20amFri 12 Jun 2026 at 4:20amUS fans warned against travelling to MexicoBy Simon Smale- with ReutersThe Bid Book for this World Cup, the document officials put together for FIFA when it applies to host a tournament, has one enormous word printed on the front cover.Unity.It is part of the three-word motto for the tournament: Unity, Certainty. Opportunity.Well, apparently that sense of unity doesn't extend giving US fans the opportunity to travel south of the border and have the certainty of enjoying some quality football in a country that lives and breathes it.Yesterday, the US Embassy in Mexico issued a warning to travelers about the potential danger of heading south.In a social media post on Tuesday, the embassy advised potential visitors to "check the latest travel advisory level and risk information before you travel."The US State Department has warning levels assigned to each Mexican state as well as Mexico City, ranging from Level 1 ("exercise normal precautions"), Level 2 ("exercise increased caution"), Level 3 ("reconsider travel") and Level 4 ("do not travel").World Cup games are scheduled for three venues in Mexico, and one of those sites is given a Level 3 warning: Zapopan, near Guadalajara in Jalisco.The other two Mexican World Cup host cities, Mexico City and Guadalupe, near Monterrey in Nuevo Leon, are listed as Level 2.The overall advisory from the US State Department regarding Mexico warns of the risk of terrorism, crime and kidnapping or hostage taking. US citizens are advised not to travel between cities after dark, not to wave down taxis on the street and to avoid traveling alone, particularly in remote locales.In all, 13 World Cup games will be held in Mexico, concluding with two in the round of 32 and one in the round of 16.The US team will not play any of its group-stage matches in Mexico.Fri 12 Jun 2026 at 4:18amFri 12 Jun 2026 at 4:18amWelcome along!By Simon SmaleWe are watching from Perth…