Shakira performs – The 2026 World Cup kicks off at Estadio Azteca on Thursday, June 11, with an opening ceremony starting around 1:30 p.m. ET and Shakira among the featured performers. Mexico plays South Africa later that day, with Mexico and the United States set to hold openin
By the time the lights came up at Estadio Azteca, the energy in Mexico City wasn’t waiting for kickoff.
On Thursday, June 11, fans streamed in as the World Cup opener approached, and protests began to spill out as arrivals picked up—an uneasy reminder that even a global celebration doesn’t arrive in a vacuum.
The ceremony itself is scheduled to begin at about 1:30 p.m. ET, roughly 90 minutes before Mexico takes the field for the opening match against South Africa. For the first performance on the FIFA World Cup halftime stage. Shakira will share the spotlight as part of a star-studded lineup that includes Burna Boy. performing “Dai Dai. ” the official song of the 2026 tournament. Alejandro Fernández. Belinda. Danny Ocean. J Balvin. Lila Downs. Los Ángeles Azules. Maná and Tyla are also set to play a role in the festivities.
The matchup is set for Thursday at 3 p.m. ET in Mexico City. That timing lines up with another milestone in this tournament’s schedule: Mexico holds its opening ceremonies first on June 11.
The United States and Canada will have their own opening ceremonies before their matches on Friday, June 12.
For viewers trying to catch the live moments, Thursday’s opening ceremony begins at 12:30 p.m. Central time. The broadcast and streaming options include FOX, Telemundo, FOX One, Fubo, and Peacock (Spanish). The event is also being streamed live with USA TODAY Sports coverage on its YouTube channel.
Behind the pageantry, there’s a football history that only adds to the weight of Thursday’s kickoff. Mexico. which has never won the World Cup. has its best-ever finishes as quarterfinal appearances in 1970 and 1986—both tournaments hosted by Mexico. And the rematch theme isn’t abstract: Thursday’s opening match is the tournament’s rematch of the 2010 World Cup’s opener in Johannesburg.
As the ceremony schedule moves forward through the week, the tournament’s next milestones are already pinned down: June 11 versus South Africa at 3 p.m. ET in Mexico City; June 18 versus South Korea at 9 p.m. ET in Guadalajara; and June 24 versus Czechia at 9 p.m. ET in Mexico City.
The venue itself carries a deeper story. The opening ceremony is taking place at Estadio Azteca, the famed stadium that hosted the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals and underwent massive renovations ahead of the 2026 tournament.
With performances planned and the first whistle still to come, Thursday’s ceremony is more than entertainment for the millions watching. It is the tournament’s first test of attention, logistics, and spectacle—set against the reality of crowd tension that has already surfaced outside the gates.
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