Mexico vs South Africa: Confirmed Lineups, Where to Watch 2026 FIFA World Cup Opener
- Mexico and South Africa are set to clash in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Estadio Azteca
- El Tri and Bafana Bafana are opening the 2026 World Cup exactly 16 years after they opened the 2010 edition
- The highly anticipated match will be available globally across multiple TV stations and streaming platforms
Mexico and South Africa are set to clash in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11, 8 PM Nigerian time.
The expanded 48-nation 2026 World Cup kicks off the same way the 2010 edition in South Africa kicked off, with a match between El Tri and Bafana Bafana.
Mexico is taking part in the opening match for the eighth time, while Estadio Azteca is hosting the opening match for the third time, having hosted it in 1970 and 1986.
Mexico vs South Africa lineup
Managers Javier Aguirre and Hugo Broos have announced their starting lineups for the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup jointly hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Mexico XI: Rangel; Reyes, Montes, Vásquez, Gallardo; Lira, Fidalgo, Gutiérrez; Alvarado, Jiménez, Quiñones.
South Africa XI: Williams; Mudau, Sibisi, Okon, Mbokazi, Modiba; Mokoena, Shitole, Adams; Rayners, Foster.
What the managers said
Mexican boss Javier Aguirre, who was a player the last time Mexico hosted the World Cup in 1986 and is set to coach El Tri to his third Mundial, has shared the mood in his camp.
“I think the message has resonated, I think I’ve convinced them, and they themselves have used the word ‘family’ naturally; they feel comfortable with it,” he said via Mi Seleccion.
“It’s a very strong word, something very powerful. They have grown as a family on their own, they internalised it, and now they express it openly.”
Bafana Bafana boss Hugo Broos admits that it is going to be a tough match for his squad, none of whom have featured at the World Cup, but is confident that they can do the job.
“For us, it will be a very tough game. We need to be at our best level, and we also need a little bit of luck,” he said at the pre-match conference as quoted by SAFA.
“But I can assure you that my team is ready and we will fight for every ball during the 90 minutes. After that, we will see what the result is.”
Where to watch Mexico vs South Africa
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be available for viewing globally across multiple TV stations and streaming platforms, which have acquired the rights.
For the Nigerian audience, it will be available on SuperSport channels on DStv and GOtv as well as their streaming platforms. Other platforms, including Star Times and Sporty TV on YouTube, will also broadcast it.
For South African audiences, the match will be available on SABC 1 and SABC+. For the Mexican audience, it will be available on Telemundo, Fox and Peacock.
Supercomputer predicts Mexico vs South Africa
Legit.ng previously reported that Opta’s supercomputer predicted the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening match between Mexico and South Africa.
The supercomputer ran 10,000 simulations of the match, with the co-hosts emerging victorious in 66%, and only 14% for South Africa and about 20% draw.
Source: Legit.ng
