Mexico and South Africa are opening the 48-team FIFA World Cup at the Estadio Azteca (Mexico City Stadium) on Thursday.

World Cup Details

Mexico is one of three hosts for the 2026 World Cup, alongside the U.S. and Canada. The fellow host nations open on Friday. Kickoff for the Mexico-South Africa opener is set for 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT.

El Tri opens the tournament as the No. 14-ranked nation, per FIFA, while South Africa comes in at No. 60. Mexico is favored to win and advance from a Group A that also features South Korea and Czechia, with South Africa the biggest underdogs of the four.

El Tri’s squad is highlighted by veterans like Raul Jimenez, Julián Quiñones, Luis Chavez and more, with Gilberto Mora and Brian Gutierrez as some youngsters to watch. The Bafana Bafana aren’t as talented, but young center-back Mbekezeli Mbozaki could be a breakout player to watch.

Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.