Overview
- The opening ceremony on Thursday, June 11 featured international stars including Shakira and Burna Boy and drew about 80,000 fans to the Estadio Azteca for a 15–30 minute cultural show.
- Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 in the tournament's first match with Julián Quiñones scoring in the 9th minute and Raúl Jiménez adding a header in the 67th minute.
- Referee Wilton Sampaio showed three red cards in the game — two to South Africa and one to Mexico — an unprecedented total for a World Cup opening match.
- Violent clashes and protests occurred outside the stadium as demonstrators sought justice for missing people, and a fan suffered a suspected cardiac arrest near an entrance and was taken to hospital in stable condition.
- Tournament management controversies continue to surface as FIFA defended high ticket prices, enforced a ban that forced Haiti to change its kit design, and faced entry and visa disputes that organizers must resolve before wider group play begins.