The opening match of the 2026 World Cup will see Mexico face South Africa at the Azteca Stadium, a repeat of the 2010 opener. Mexico have won only one knockout game in World Cup history, back in 1986 when they last hosted. Manager Javier Aguirre, a forward in that side, will aim for a third quarter-final appearance as hosts. South Africa, coached by Hugo Broos, qualified for their first World Cup since 2010, topping a group that included Nigeria and Benin despite a controversial defeat to Lesotho.
South Korea will appear at their 11th consecutive World Cup under coach Hong Myung-bo, who played in four tournaments and finished third in the Golden Ball voting in 2002. They qualified unbeaten through a challenging group. The fourth team in Group A will be a European playoff winner from the Czech Republic, Denmark, North Macedonia or Republic of Ireland.
Canada, making their second World Cup appearance, have yet to earn a point in the finals. Manager Jesse Marsch oversees a strong squad featuring Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies. Their group could become significantly tougher if Italy emerge from the Uefa playoff, which also includes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Switzerland have reached the knockout stage in four of the last five World Cups and were quarter-finalists at the past two Euros. Murat Yakin’s side qualified unbeaten from a relatively easy Uefa group. Qatar, who finished fourth in their third-round group, secured progress by hosting the fourth round and beating the UAE 2-1. Julen Lopetegui’s squad is entirely drawn from the Qatari league.
Scotland return to the World Cup after 28 years, aiming to reach the knockout phase for the first time after eight group-stage exits. Haiti, their opponents, last appeared in 1974, a tournament overshadowed by the treatment of midfielder Ernst Jean-Joseph after a failed drugs test. Haiti will have limited support as the country is on the USA’s travel ban list.
Brazil, managed by Carlo Ancelotti after a turbulent qualifying campaign, have shown improvement. Morocco, semi-finalists in 2022, qualified with a perfect record. The USA, under Mauricio Pochettino, have recovered from a poor run to beat Paraguay and thrash Uruguay 5-1 in friendlies. Paraguay, playing in their sixth World Cup, have won one game in each of the previous five tournaments. Australia, lacking star power, secured qualification with crucial wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia. The fourth team in their group will come from Europe’s playoff C, featuring Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia or Turkey. Germany, after successive group-stage exits, face a challenging draw under Julian Nagelsmann.
