The 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway on Thursday with hosts Mexico taking on South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca, marking the beginning of the biggest edition of football’s showpiece tournament.

For viewers in India, the opening match will kick off at 12:30 am IST on Friday, June 12.

Co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, the tournament has expanded significantly, with 48 teams competing for the first time, compared with the 32-team format that had been in place since the 1998 World Cup.

According to FIFA, a record 104 matches will be played across 16 venues spread across the three host countries. While the host nations secured automatic qualification, the remaining 45 teams booked their places through a qualifying process that lasted more than two years.

Expanded Format Marks New Era

The increase to 48 teams has brought major changes to the tournament structure.

The participating nations have been divided into 12 groups of four teams each. The top two teams from every group, along with the eight best third-placed sides, will advance to a newly introduced 32-team knockout stage.

A total of 72 matches will be played during the group stage, while the knockout rounds will feature 32 matches beginning with the round of 32 on June 28.

The final is scheduled to take place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium near New York.

The expanded format is expected to offer more countries an opportunity to compete on football’s biggest stage while increasing the overall duration and scale of the tournament.

Players Face Diverse Conditions

The 1,248 players participating in the competition will encounter varying climatic and geographical conditions across North America.

Teams will have to adapt to everything from the summer heat in cities such as Houston to the high-altitude conditions in Guadalajara, while also travelling across four time zones during the course of the tournament.

For Indian fans, however, the biggest challenge will be the timing of the matches. Most games are scheduled in North American afternoons and evenings, meaning many fixtures will begin late at night or during the early hours of the morning in India.

Mexico And South Africa Meet Again

The opening match carries an added element of nostalgia, as Mexico and South Africa also faced each other in the opening fixture of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

That encounter ended in a 1-1 draw, and both teams will now renew their rivalry 16 years later at the Estadio Azteca.

After years of preparations and anticipation, the first whistle will finally signal the start of a tournament that promises to be larger and longer than any World Cup before it.

With 48 teams, 104 matches and three host nations, the 2026 FIFA World Cup marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of international football.

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