World Cup today: Excitement builds as Mexico take on South Africa in opening game

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe 2026 World Cup gets underway in Mexico City today, as co-hosts Mexico take on South Africa in the opening game in Group A – the game kicks off at 8pm BST (3pm ET).Mexico’s opening ceremony is scheduled for 6.30pm BST (1.30pm ET) ahead of the game at the Estadio Azteca, it’s the first of three opening ceremonies across the three host nations.The other game in Group A sees South Korea take on the Czech Republic in Guadalajara – the game kicks off at 3am BST on Friday morning (10pm Thursday ET).A major point of contention is the denial of a US visa to Somali referee Omar Artan, with the US administration alleging connections to "suspected members of terror organisations," a claim Artan refutes, insisting he possessed valid documentation.In preparation for the tournament, England celebrated a 3-0 victory against Costa Rica in their final warm-up game, with goals from Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins.In fullWorld Cup 2026 live: Mexico face protests before opener after Gianni Infantino’s shambolic press conferenceThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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