Anticipation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is at its peak among fans in the United States and the United Kingdom as they look forward to the historic opening match between Mexico and South Africa. Scheduled to kick off on Thursday, June 11 at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, this exciting Group A clash marks the official start of the world’s biggest soccer tournament. As one of the three host nations, the Mexican national team seeks to secure an immediate home advantage, while the South African squad will try to spoil the World Cup debut party. For viewers in the U.S. and the UK, knowing the exact kickoff time and TV channels is key to not missing any details of the opening soccer match. Both teams know that a positive result on the first matchday is crucial to setting them on the path to qualifying from the group stage and winning the coveted golden trophy.
2026 FIFA World Cup Start Times by Country
The 2026 FIFA World Cup opens this Thursday, June 11, 2026, when Mexico host South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The Group A inaugural match is scheduled to start at approximately 3:00 p.m. ET (Eastern Time). Here are the race start times for different countries in Latin America are:
- Mexico (Mexico City): 1:00 p.m.
- Peru, Colombia & Ecuador: 2:00 p.m.
- Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay & Uruguay: 4:00 p.m.
- Great Britain: 8:00 p.m.
- France, Italy & Spain: 9:00 p.m.
2026 FIFA World Cup Broadcast Channels
In the United States, official coverage of the 2026 World Cup kickoff match between Mexico and South Africa will be broadcasted on television and streaming by FS1, Telemundo, Telemundo App, FOX, Peacock, FOX One, Universo, Telexitos, fuboTV, Tubi & Futbol de Primera Radio. In Great Britain, soccer fans can watch it on ITV 1 UK, ITVX, STV Scotland & STV Player.
In Latin America (including Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela), the broadcasters are DIRECTV Sports, DGO and Disney Plus Premium (in some countries).
