Overview
- Mexico opened the tournament at Estadio Azteca on Thursday with a 2-0 win over South Africa, a match that also served as the first of the three host opening events.
- Canada hosted its inauguration in Toronto and drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina after conceding an early goal and equalizing through Cyle Larin.
- The United States completed the trio of local openings in Los Angeles and beat Paraguay 4-1, producing the tournament’s first big-margin win.
- Each host staged its own high-profile ceremony featuring global artists, producing both praise for cultural displays and criticism of Mexico’s presentation as ‘sobria’ from some commentators.
- Coverage is centering on how the expanded 48-team, 104-match format affects broadcast windows, streaming access and logistics, while non-qualified teams such as Peru are lining up friendlies with host nations as preparation for future qualifying.