After years of anticipation, the 2026 World Cup officially kicks off on Thursday, June 11, from Mexico City. There are two soccer games on today’s World Cup TV schedule.
The United States and Canada will have their opening matches on Friday, June 12. Mexico takes on South Africa at 3 p.m. Eastern on Fox in the headliner, which will also serve as the first World Cup Opening Ceremony.
Technically, there are three Opening Ceremonies as Mexico, the United States and Canada will all have special musical performances to celebrate their opening games as co-hosts of the FIFA tournament.
In addition to Mexico-South Africa, South Korea takes on Czechia at 10 p.m. Eastern on FS1. Fox will begin their pregame coverage at 1 p.m. Eastern ahead of the Mexico-South Africa match with “FIFA World Cup Live.”
All four teams playing on Thursday are part of Group A. Fans can stream the first 10 minutes of every World Cup match for free on YouTube.
Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming World Cup schedule.
World Cup TV Schedule: Mexico-South Africa Headlines Games for Thursday, June 11
Here’s a look at today’s schedule with two games to open the World Cup schedule. All times listed are in Eastern.
| DATE | GAME | TIME (ET) | TV CHANNEL |
| Thursday, June 11 | Mexico vs. South Africa | 3 p.m. | Fox |
| Thursday, June 11 | South Korea vs. Czechia | 10 p.m. | FS1 |
Who Is Performing at Today’s World Cup Opening Ceremony?
Shakira and Burna Boy will perform the official World Cup song “Dai Dai” at the Opening Ceremony in Mexico. The Opening Ceremony at Estadio Azteca will start at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé are among the performers for Canada’s Opening Ceremony on Friday, June 12. This Opening Ceremony will start at 1:30 p.m. in Toronto.
Katy Perry, Dan +Shay and Future are among the musicians for the United States’ Opening Ceremony on Friday, June 12. Prior to the United States-Paraguay game, the USA’s Opening Ceremony starts at 7:30 p.m. Eastern from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
All three World Cup Opening Ceremonies will be broadcast on Fox.
How Far Can Mexico Go in the World Cup?
Mexico will be the focal point for the start of the World Cup. El Tri fans are anxious to see if Mexico can advance past the Round of 16, something that has historically been challenging.
Mexico is a heavy favorite versus South Africa but insists the squad is not taking their first opponent lightly.
“Javier [Aguirre] mentioned it, that in these types of situations you have to know how to play with [the pressures]. Since the Gold Cup, he told us that everyone says we are the favorites,” Mexico defender Mateo Chávez, who also plays at AZ Alkmaar, noted, per ESPN’s Lizzy Becherano.
“We also have to know how to maintain these types of situations, because many times we find ourselves on the other side, that we are not the favorites, that we face great teams and when now you are the favorite you also have to learn to play with that, to propose and have the courage to be the one who goes forward and proposes.”
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