Overview
- FIFA confirmed the tournament will open with Mexico vs. South Africa at Estadio Azteca on June 11 with a 1:00 p.m. Mexico City kickoff and an inauguration show starting about 90 minutes earlier.
- Mexico will stage matches at Estadio Azteca, Estadio Akron in Guadalajara and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, with Azteca set to host three group games plus two knockout fixtures.
- Mexico finished warm-up games before the opener, beating Serbia 5-1 on June 4 as the squad made final preparations under coach Javier Aguirre.
- President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico will host Iran's delegation in Tijuana while the team flies to the United States for its group matches, a movement arranged after FIFA's request tied to security and diplomatic concerns.
- Commercial and roster coverage highlights the tournament's scale: Transfermarkt lists players like Lamine Yamal and Erling Haaland at €200 million each, Forbes cites top earners such as Cristiano Ronaldo, and ESPN reports Manchester City supplies the most World Cup players with 19 call-ups.