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Two hours before the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, Estadio Azteca in Mexico City became the stage for the 2026 FIFA World Cup's launch.
Colored smoke filled the air above the stadium roof in the shades of the Mexican flag, signaling the start of the tournament to a crowd of 80,824.
The opening ceremony featured a visual show just before kickoff.
Smoke bombs in green, white, and red, the colors of the Mexican flag, rose from the stadium roof and set a dramatic scene at this historic football venue.
This marked the official start of a tournament Mexico had awaited for 30 years.
Mexican rock group Mana performed as part of the pre-match concert.
As one of Latin America's best-known rock bands, they played for tens of thousands of fans before the first World Cup match in Mexico in forty years.
Colombian singer Shakira and Nigerian artist Burna Boy performed "Dai Dai," the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in front of a packed stadium.
Their performance was a highlight of the concert, as they shared the stage for the anthem’s debut.
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and South Korean singer EJAE performed "DNA"—the official anthem of the 2026 FIFA World Cup—for the first time in a live setting.
FIFA described the anthem as a reflection of the World Cup's spirit, with themes of resilience, unity, ambition and belonging.
Singer Belinda and cumbia group Los Angeles Azules also performed at the opening concert, joining a lineup focused on Mexican and Latin music.
The event brought together artists from different generations, showing the cultural diversity of the host country.
Mexican actress Salma Hayek delivered the tournament's official welcome address before a global audience.
Her remarks preceded the first live performance of "DNA," the official 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem, as the stadium prepared for the historic kickoff.
As the anthem was sung, flags of all participating nations were arranged in a circle around the centre of the pitch.
The display represented the 48 teams taking part in the expanded tournament, the first edition to feature that number of sides since the format change announced in 2017.
Mexico made history as the most frequent FIFA World Cup host nation, having staged the tournament in 1970, 1986 and now 2026.
The country became the first to host three editions of the competition, a record that adds another chapter to its long relationship with the tournament.
Estadio Azteca joined Mexico City in the record books, having now hosted the opening match of three separate World Cups.
No other stadium has hosted as many World Cup opening fixtures, reinforcing its place as one of football's most historic grounds.
After the concerts ended, the stadium moved from celebration to ceremony.
Smoke bombs launched from the roof of Estadio Azteca sent the Mexican flag’s colors across the sky.
This display signaled the shift from entertainment to the start of the 32nd FIFA World Cup.
Images of Diego Armando Maradona and Pele were displayed on the stadium screens during the pre-match proceedings.
Both players are closely linked to Estadio Azteca—Maradona scored his infamous "Hand of God" goal and his "Goal of the Century" at the venue during the 1986 World Cup.
FIFA's newly introduced pre-match ceremony was carried out ahead of the Mexico-South Africa match.
All players from both squads were arranged in a circle around the center spot, with the flags of the two nations unfurled at the pitch center before their respective anthems were played.
Following the anthem ceremony, smoke bombs in the colors of both nations' flags were set off on the pitch.
A helicopter carrying a large Mexican flag flew over the stadium as the smoke cleared, completing the ceremonial sequence before the match began.
The Mexico-South Africa match brought together two nations from different football traditions for the tournament's first fixture.
South Africa, competing in its second World Cup since hosting the tournament in 2010, faced a Mexico side playing its third opening match at Estadio Azteca.
With the opening ceremony complete and the match underway, the 2026 FIFA World Cup formally began.
Co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Türkiye, the tournament runs through the summer, with matches scheduled across 16 cities and 16 stadiums across three countries.
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