The 23rd edition of the World Cup kicked off last night (Thursday, June 11) with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa at Azteca Stadium. This tournament will be held for the first time with 48 teams in 12 groups of four, and the teams will compete to reach the final on July 17 at the Meterlife Stadium in New Jersey.

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): The 2026 World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, has undergone fundamental changes in the tournament structure. In this edition, the top two teams from each group will advance directly to the round of 16, and the eight best third-place teams will be added to the 32 teams that have qualified for the knockout stage.

In the opening match held last night, the Mexican national team defeated South Africa 2-0. Julian Quinones scored the first goal of the tournament in the 8th minute and Raul Jimenez added the second goal in the 67th minute. The match was marked by three red cards; two players from South Africa and one from Mexico were sent off.

In the second match of the tournament, which took place this morning (Friday, 12th June), South Korea came from behind to win 2-1 and earn three valuable points.