Overview
- The tournament began Thursday, June 11, with Mexico v. South Africa at a renovated Estadio Azteca that was expanded to about 87,500 seats and reported a sellout for the opener.
- Mexico named veteran striker Raúl Jiménez in the starting lineup and is expected to start goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who would be the first player to appear at six World Cups if he plays.
- Major broadcast windows are active with Fox and FS1 holding U.S. English rights and streaming options such as Fubo available while the Zee Group will telecast on Unite8 Sports and stream on Zee5 in India.
- Organizers are managing active off-field problems including visa denials for some officials, state investigations into ticket pricing and resale, and protests in Mexico City that have raised security and access concerns.
- The expanded 48-team format adds a new Round of 32 and 104 total matches, changing squad rotation and travel plans and promising wider economic impact across host cities through July 19.