The 2026 World Cup begins this Thursday (11) with the opening ceremony at the Azteca Stadium, in Mexico City, followed by the game between Mexico and South Africa, valid for the first round of Group A. The party is scheduled to start at around 2:30 pm (Brasília time), with the kickoff scheduled for 4 pm.
The Azteca Stadium, an icon of Mexican football that already hosted openings in 1970 and 1986, will once again be the stage for the start of the World Cup. Mexico, as the host country, seeks the support of the local fans to overcome South Africa, which returns to the tournament after a 16-year absence.
Full broadcast in Brazil
Coverage will be broad and free across multiple channels. On open TV, Globo and SBT show the ceremony and the game. On pay-per-view and subscription channels, SporTV and NSports also broadcast live.
Through streaming, fans have options such as geTV (within Globoplay), CazéTV (on YouTube, free of charge) and associated platforms. ge.globo offers real time with bids, lineups and statistics.
Historical context that explains the duel
Mexico and South Africa repeat the opening match from 2010, when the tournament was hosted on the African continent. On that occasion, the game ended in a draw. Now, with the World Cup expanded to 48 teams, the clash gains even more weight as it marks the beginning of the most distributed edition in history, with games in three countries: Mexico, Canada and the United States.
Group A also includes South Korea and Czechia. Mexico, led by Javier Aguirre, is betting on experience and home advantage, while Bafana Bafana arrives motivated to surprise.
What changes for the fan
With open, paid and free TV broadcasts on the internet, practically every Brazilian with access to a device can follow it at no extra cost. The multiple broadcaster strategy aims to reach the largest possible audience on the first day, something strategic to maintain engagement throughout the weeks of competition.
