Published On 11/6/2026
Video clips circulating on social media platforms today, Thursday, documented the final atmosphere inside the famous “Azteca” Stadium in the Mexican capital, Mexico City, hours before it hosted the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup and the opening match that brought together the national teams of Mexico and South Africa.
The footage showed the giant stands of the historic stadium covered in tournament colors, amid intense preparations to receive fans and media from all over the world, marking the start of the largest edition in the history of the World Cup.
The official account of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) also published exclusive scenes from the stadium and its internal facilities, in the last hours before kick-off, confirming Azteca’s readiness to host the event that is awaited by millions of fans around the world.
The importance of the opening match is not limited to being the beginning of the 2026 World Cup competitions, but it also represents a new historical milestone for the Azteca Stadium, which will enter football records from its widest gates as the first stadium to host the opening match of three different versions of the World Cup finals.
The famous Mexican stadium previously hosted the opening of the 1970 and 1986 World Cups, and also hosted some of the most immortal moments in the history of the game, most notably the crowning of Brazilian legend Pele with his third world title in 1970, and the Argentine Diego Maradona leading his country to the title in 1986.
“Azteca” also witnessed one of the most famous matches in the history of the World Cup, when Maradona scored his two historic goals against England during the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup, between the “Hand of God” goal and the goal that many later chose as “The Goal of the Century.”
The stadium, which opened in 1966 and can accommodate tens of thousands of spectators, is one of the most prominent sporting landmarks in the world and the most closely linked to the history of the World Cup, giving the launch of the 2026 edition a special symbolic dimension in the place that witnessed some of the greatest football moments over the decades.
With the starting whistle blowing on Thursday evening, fans of the game are anticipating the opening of a World Cup journey that will extend for more than a month, and for the first time will witness the participation of 48 teams, in an edition that organizers hope will be the most popular and exciting in the history of the tournament.
