[2026 World Cup] First-Ever 48 Nations...Festival Kicks Off in Mexico City

The Sacred Ground of Pelé and Maradona Hosts a Record Third Opening Match
Spectacular Performances by Shakira, Lee Jae, Bocelli, and More
Mexico Claims First Victory... South Korea Debuts Against Czech Republic

For the first time in history, the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup, which is co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada and features an expanded roster of 48 participating nations, kicked off in grand style at Mexico City Stadium, the sacred ground of Mexican football, on June 12 (Korean time).

This tournament marks the first time in World Cup history that the competition will be held with 48 nations. Previously, the 32-nation format consisted of eight groups in the group stage, with the top two teams from each group advancing to a 16-team knockout stage to compete for the championship. In contrast, this tournament features 12 groups (Groups A to L), each with four nations. After the group stage, 24 teams that finish first or second in their groups, along with the eight best-performing third-place teams, will advance to a 32-team knockout stage. As a result, the total number of matches has significantly increased from the previous 64 to 104, and one additional knockout round has been added on the road to the championship.

Dancers are performing a spectacular group dance at the opening ceremony of the 2026 North American World Cup held at Mexico City Stadium on the 12th (Korean time). Photo by AP Yonhap News

With a maximum capacity of 87,500, Mexico City Stadium has become the first venue in World Cup history to host the opening match three times. Mexico is hosting the World Cup for the third time following 1970 and 1986, with both the opening and final matches in those previous tournaments also held at this stadium.

Opened in 1966, Mexico City Stadium is a symbolic site in world football history, as legends like Pelé and Diego Maradona each lifted the World Cup trophy here in 1970 and 1986, respectively.

Prior to the Group A opening match between Mexico and South Africa in the 2026 North American World Cup, celebration performances and opening festivities began at around 2:40 a.m. (Korean time) on this day.

The event commenced with the entry of the national flags of all 48 participating countries. The procession followed the order of the groups, with South Korea’s Taegukgi appearing second in Group A, right after South Africa. The flags of the co-host countries—Mexico, Canada, and the United States—entered last, with the host nation Mexico’s flag appearing as the 48th and final flag in the sequence.

Shakira is passionately singing the theme song "Dai Dai" at the opening ceremony of the 2026 North American World Cup held at Mexico City Stadium on the 12th (Korean time). Photo by AP Yonhap News

The opening ceremony resembled a massive pop concert. Leading artists representing Latin America, such as Mexico’s Alejandro Fernandez, Belinda Peregrin, and Lila Downs, as well as Venezuela’s Danny Ocean and Colombia’s J Balvin, took turns performing on stage.

Shakira, the “Queen of Latin Pop” from Colombia, appeared alongside hip-hop artist Burna Boy to perform the official theme song “Dai Dai” for the 2026 North American World Cup, raising the excitement to its peak. Singer-songwriter Lee Jae, who gained global popularity through the animation “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” also appeared with world-renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli to present another World Cup theme song, “DNA,” earning great applause.

The performances featured a mix of Mexican traditional music, rap, and techno, among other genres. Dancers adorned with elaborate feather decorations symbolizing Aztec warriors appeared on the field, while hundreds of performers in golden costumes staged a large-scale group dance. At the center of the stage, a massive golden sphere reminiscent of a soccer ball and the Aztec sun god drew the audience’s attention.

On the 12th (Korean time), the opening ceremony of the 2026 North and Central American World Cup took place at the Mexico City Stadium. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Before the main festivities, 1980s pop music evoking nostalgia for the 1986 Mexico World Cup played throughout the stadium. When hits such as MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” were played, cheers erupted from the stands.

For the first-ever World Cup jointly hosted by three countries, each host nation will hold its own opening ceremony, making a total of three ceremonies. Following the first opening ceremony in Mexico City on this day, the Canadian opening ceremony will be held at Toronto Stadium at 4:00 a.m. on June 13 (Korean time), ahead of the Group B match between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Later the same day, at 10:00 a.m., the U.S. opening ceremony will take place at Los Angeles Stadium before the Group D match between the United States and Paraguay.

In the tournament’s first match, held immediately after the opening ceremony, host nation Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 to claim the first victory of the 2026 North American World Cup. The South Korean national team, led by head coach Hong Myungbo, will kick off their World Cup journey with their Group A opening match against the Czech Republic at 11:00 a.m. on the same day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.