Published on 6/8/2026
On Thursday, all eyes will turn to the Azteca Stadium, which will host the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, between Mexico, one of the three host countries, and South Africa, in a confrontation that brings back memories of the 2010 World Cup on the African continent.
Mexico vs. South Africa match numbers
Sixteen years after the opening of the World Cup in South Africa, the scenario was repeated between the two teams themselves, after they tied 1-1 in Johannesburg (June 11, 2010), which was the first time that an opening match was repeated out of the previous 19 opening matches in the history of the World Cup.
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This paradox of the Mexico-South Africa match is not the only one when it comes to the opening of the World Cup, as the Azteca Stadium, which is hosting the match, is preparing to host the 20th match in the FIFA World Cup, a record that no other stadium has ever achieved in the history of the tournament.
According to the Opta network, the Mexican national team did not lose in the seven matches it played at this stadium in Mexico City (5 wins and 2 draws).
The Mexico-South Africa meeting in 2010 was the last time the opening match of a FIFA World Cup ended in a draw, while the last two opening matches at the Azteca Stadium ended in a draw (Mexico and the Soviet Union in 1970 without goals, and Bulgaria and Italy in 1986 with a goal to the same).
Mexican steadfastness
On the other hand, Mexico is undefeated in its last seven World Cup opening matches, with five wins and two draws, and the last time it tasted defeat was in its opening match in 1994, when it lost 0-1 to Norway.
The 2026 tournament marks Mexico’s 18th participation in the World Cup, a record for any country in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).
Although its best achievements were when it hosted the tournament in 1970 and 1986, where it was eliminated in the quarter-finals in both versions, it holds the record for the largest number of matches it played without winning the title (60 matches).
Fourth participation for “Bafana Bafana”
As for South Africa, this is their fourth participation in the World Cup, and their first away from home since 2002, as they have not gone beyond the first round yet. It is also Bafana Bafana’s second match in the World Cup against the host country, after their 0-3 defeat against France in 1998.
None of South Africa’s nine matches in the FIFA World Cup ended without goals, and its two victories so far in the tournament were against Slovenia in 2002 and France in 2010, and the victory over Slovenia is its only victory with a clean sheet in a World Cup match (1-0).
During the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, the South African national team topped its group, one point ahead of Nigeria, and with the exception of the 0-3 loss to Lesotho due to the fielding of an ineligible player, the “Bafana Bafana” national team did not fall behind except in one match of the qualifiers, which was its 0-2 loss away from home to Rwanda in November 2023.
Top stars
On the individual level, Mexican defender Cesar Montes emerged as one of the most prominent names in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, after scoring 3 goals, all of which came from corner kicks, making him one of Mexico’s most important weapons on set pieces, in addition to recording the second highest number of interceptions of passes with 10 interceptions, and achieving a success rate of 75% in aerial tackles, which reflects his comprehensive impact defensively and offensively.
On the other hand, Oswin Apolis stands out as the most influential South African player during the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, after he directly contributed to 6 goals between scoring and making (two goals and 4 assists), which is equivalent to double the contribution of any other player in the “Bafana Bafana” team, confirming his position as a decisive element in the offensive system.
Expert trainer
At the level of technical leadership, Javier Aguirre continues to enhance his World Cup experience, as he leads the Mexican national team in the World Cup for the third time after the 2002 and 2010 editions, becoming among the most experienced coaches in this edition.
Aguirre also has a special World Cup background, as he was a key player in the Mexican national team during the 1986 edition, in which he played in all five matches and provided a historic assist before leaving the tournament with an expulsion in the quarter-finals against West Germany.
