Mexico City dazzles as 2026 World Cup kicks off in style
Key takeaways
- Fireworks and global stars light up Mexico City’s kickoff of the 2026 World Cup at a revamped Azteca Stadium.
- xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Dancers perform on the pitch during the opening ceremony before the start of the World Cup Group.
- On Thursday, co-hosts Mexico kicked off the expanded 48-team football tournament by playing South Africa at the steep concrete arena, officially renamed Mexico City Stadium but still widely known as Azteca.
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Fireworks and global stars light up Mexico City’s kickoff of the 2026 World Cup at a revamped Azteca Stadium.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Dancers perform on the pitch during the opening ceremony before the start of the World Cup Group. A football match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City. [Natacha Pisarenko/AP Photo]By APPublished On 11 Jun 202611 Jun 2026Fireworks, a sweeping light show and performances by Shakira, Burna Boy and J Balvin opened the 2026 World Cup before more than 80,000 fans at a revamped Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
On Thursday, co-hosts Mexico kicked off the expanded 48-team football tournament by playing South Africa at the steep concrete arena, officially renamed Mexico City Stadium but still widely known as Azteca.