FIFA opens 2026 World Cup with Mexico City ceremony
FIFA opened the 2026 World Cup in Mexico City on 11 June with a ceremony built around Latin American, African and global pop acts before Mexico played South Africa in the first match. FIFA says this edition runs from 11 June to 19 July across Canada, Mexico and the United States, expands the men's tournament to 48 teams and 104 matches, and uses 16 host cities. The Mexico City show was the first of three host-country openings, with Canada and the United States staging their own ceremonies on 12 June. The sporting centre remains the start of the largest World Cup yet: a longer group phase, a new round of 32 and a wider field that changes the rhythm for teams and broadcasters. For Belgian readers, the direct hook is the tournament calendar: FIFA's schedule places Belgium in Group G, beginning against Egypt in Seattle on 15 June.
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About this story
FIFA (the Zurich-based world football governing body founded in 1904) organises the World Cup. The 2026 FIFA World Cup (men's tournament from 11 June to 19 July 2026) is jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States. Mexico City (Mexico's capital) staged the opening event at Estadio Azteca, the stadium known internationally for the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals. Shakira (Colombian singer, born 1977) returned to World Cup music culture after her 2010 global hit. Burna Boy (Nigerian Afrobeats artist, born 1991) shares the new tournament song, listed by multiple sources as "Dai Dai". Maná (Mexican rock band formed in Guadalajara in 1986) was among the Mexico ceremony names reported. Andrea Bocelli (Italian tenor, born 1958) was named in the lead item, but Belgium Pulse did not find him confirmed in the Mexico opener sources consulted. South Africa (the 2010 World Cup host) faced co-host Mexico in the opening match.
How to read this story
The history
FIFA awarded the 2026 tournament to the United bid of Canada, Mexico and the United States at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow on 13 June 2018. Mexico previously hosted the men's World Cup in 1970 and 1986, making this its third hosting role. The 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan was the last men's World Cup co-hosted by more than one country. FIFA's move from 32 to 48 teams, approved before this cycle, creates the first men's World Cup with a round of 32 and 104 matches. Shakira's football-music link dates back most visibly to the 2010 South Africa tournament.
Why now
The story is timely because 11 June is the tournament's opening day. Mexico City's ceremony and Mexico v South Africa turned a long planning cycle into the live start of the 2026 World Cup.
What to watch
Watch the Canada and United States openings on 12 June, then Belgium's Group G opener against Egypt on 15 June. The early signal will be how teams manage the expanded format and whether favourites treat the group phase conservatively.
Local impact
The most concrete Belgian effect is on football viewing rather than place-based services: households, cafes and sports bars across Belgium can plan around the Red Devils' Group G schedule, while VRT and RTBF provide the national public-broadcast route for audiences in Dutch and French.
International angle
The story is inherently cross-border: FIFA is staging one tournament across three North American countries, with separate host-country ceremonies and a field expanded to 48 teams. For European viewers, including Belgium, the time-zone gap and the broader qualification field change how the tournament is watched and discussed.
What this means for you
Belgian viewers should expect a longer tournament calendar and North American kick-off times. The practical domestic point is simple: FIFA's media-partner listing names VRT and RTBF for Belgium, while Belgium's first match is scheduled for 15 June against Egypt in Seattle.
What happens next
Canada and the United States are expected to hold their own opening ceremonies on 12 June before their first matches. The group stage then expands across North America. Belgium's immediate sporting marker is its Group G opener against Egypt in Seattle on 15 June, followed by matches against Iran and New Zealand later in June.
Potential consequences
The larger format could give more national teams visibility and extend fan engagement, but it also makes the early tournament harder to follow casually because more groups and third-place permutations are involved. For Belgium, a successful start in Group G could shape expectations around a squad moving beyond the peak Golden Generation years. For FIFA, the ceremonies underline the tournament's role as a sports-media product as much as a football competition.
Timeline
- 2018-06-13·FIFA awarded the 2026 World Cup to the joint Canada-Mexico-United States bid.
- 2026-06-11·Mexico City staged the first opening ceremony and Mexico faced South Africa in the tournament opener.
- 2026-06-12·Canada and the United States were scheduled to stage their own host-country openings.
- 2026-06-15·Belgium is scheduled to open Group G against Egypt in Seattle.
- 2026-07-19·FIFA's tournament calendar ends with the final in the New York New Jersey area.
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This briefing was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by a Belgium Impulse editor before publication. methodology.