Kickoff times are Eastern. Channels and times confirmed the morning of June 11, 2026.
It finally starts today. The first World Cup match on North American soil since 1994 kicks off this afternoon at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, and opening day runs from a Shakira-headlined ceremony at lunchtime to a late nightcap out of Guadalajara. Two matches, one ceremony, both games in Group A. Here is the day, hour by hour.
Quick housekeeping first: if you still have not sorted out where you are watching this tournament, the full how-to-watch guide covers every option from free to zero-hassle. And if you want to know whose names to learn before the group stage takes off, start with the 12 players to watch.
1 p.m. ET: The opening ceremony
The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. local time in Mexico City, and the lineup is a genuine concert. Shakira headlines alongside Burna Boy, and together they debut “Dai Dai,” the tournament’s official song. Alejandro Fernández sings the Mexican national anthem, with Maná, Los Ángeles Azules, Lila Downs, Belinda, J Balvin, and Danny Ocean all on the bill. Even if you do not care about the football for another two hours, this part is worth having on.
Tubi streams the ceremony free with a free account, which is also where you can watch the opener itself without paying a cent.
3 p.m. ET: Mexico vs. South Africa, FOX
The opener, from the Azteca. The stadium becomes the first to host matches at three World Cups, after 1970 and 1986, and history says that matters for the hosts: the only times Mexico reached the quarterfinals were those two tournaments at home. So the pressure on El Tri today is real, and so is the advantage. A full Azteca at altitude is one of the loudest rooms in the sport.
There is a nice bit of symmetry here too. Mexico vs. South Africa was also the opening match of the 2010 World Cup, the one Siphiwe Tshabalala announced with a screamer into the top corner. South Africa would happily take a rerun.
How to watch: FOX, which means free over the air with an antenna. Tubi streams it free in 4K. FOX One and the Fox Sports app carry it if you are already set up there, and Telemundo and Peacock have it in Spanish.
10 p.m. ET: South Korea vs. Czechia, FS1
The nightcap from Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, and quietly an important one: in a group with the hosts, this is the match both teams probably circled as the one to win. The two have never met at a World Cup. Czechia arrives hot, with five straight wins including a nervy playoff run to qualify, while South Korea is at its eleventh consecutive World Cup, a streak almost nobody else in the field can match.
One catch: this one is on FS1, not FOX, so an antenna will not get you there. You need FOX One, a live-TV service, or a cable login. Telemundo carries it free over the air in Spanish, and Peacock streams it.
The 30-second watch recap
- Spending nothing today: Tubi for the ceremony and the opener, antenna for FOX, Telemundo for both matches in Spanish. The only gap is the 10 p.m. game in English.
- Every match, cheapest: FOX One at $19.99 a month covers both of today’s games and all 104 to come.
- Zero hassle: if you already have YouTube TV or another live-TV service, both matches are just there. Open the app at 3.
The full guide has the longer version, including the free-trial math.
And then it really gets going
Tomorrow brings the other two host nations: Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina at 3 p.m. ET, then the USMNT opens against Paraguay at 9 p.m. ET on FOX, also free in 4K on Tubi. That one runs through captain Christian Pulisic, playing a World Cup on home soil.
The biggest names land next week. Kylian Mbappé and France open Tuesday afternoon, Lionel Messi and defending champion Argentina go Tuesday night, and Cristiano Ronaldo begins a record sixth World Cup with Portugal on Wednesday.
Thirty-nine days of this start now. Enjoy it.
