The first two matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be taking place imminently, on Thursday, June 11. The first match of the tournament will feature host country Mexico taking on South Africa, while the second match features South Korea and Czechia. To learn more about these teams and their history before they begin their journey for a World Cup trophy, read below for more information.
Mexico vs. South Africa, 3 p.m.
Mexico is one of the three host countries for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and will be participating in the first match of the tournament. Currently ranked as the fourteenth best team in the world, Mexico is among the most talented squads and will have the advantage of home field during their match on Thursday. The game will be played at Mexico City, in front of an audience that will be overwhelmingly filled with Mexico’s fans.
Despite consistently being among the top teams in the FIFA World Cup, Mexico has never been able to claim a championship. Playing all three of their group stage matches on home turf, the squad will hope to use that as extra motivation to propel them to unseen territory in the tournament.
Mexico’s opponent, South Africa, lacks the tournament experience Mexico has, appearing in the FIFA World Cup 14 less times than Mexico. South Africa has failed to make it out of the group stages in their four appearances in the tournament. South Africa is currently ranked by FIFA as the 60th best team in the world.
Mexico and South Africa have met up in previous years, with their most recent match coming at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, while their only other matchup ended in a 201 win for South Africa at the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Mexico has never defeated South Africa before, hoping to pick up its first win, while South Africa looks to stay unbeaten against Mexico.
South Korea vs. Czechia, 10 p.m.
South Korea has established themselves as a recurring figure in the tournament, competing in every FIFA World Cup since 1986. However, the team has not been able to hoist the trophy, with their best win coming from a fourth place finish in 2002, when they were co-hosts. South Korea is currently ranked by FIFA as the 25th best team in the world.
Czechia, on the other hand, has not participated in the tournament since 2006, when they were unable to advance past the group stages. Czechia is ranked as the 39th best team in the world, hoping to make the most of their first FIFA World Cup appearance in two decades.
The teams have met three times before, however, they all came from international friendly matches with relatively low stakes. Their first time meeting in 1998, ended in a 2-2 draw, while their second match in 2001 saw a 5-0 win for Czechia. Their most recent game, which occurred in 2016, was a 2-1 win for South Korea. With each team having one win over the other, it looks to be a very competitive match.
Once the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches kick off on Thursday, it will begin a series of non-stop soccer action that will run all the way until July 19, when the final match comes to New Jersey. There will be at least one game played almost every day during that span, ensuring that fans will be provided with constant entertainment from the games.
