On June 11 local time, the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was held at Mexico City Stadium in Mexico. This World Cup is the first in history to feature 48 teams and the first to be co-hosted by three countries. It is also the third time Mexico has hosted the tournament, following 1970 and 1986. Mexico City Stadium (formerly known as Estadio Azteca), which witnessed the crowning of two generations of "football kings" – Pelé and Maradona – has become the first stadium to host three World Cup opening matches.
At noon on June 11, Mexico City was bathed in sunshine. In the opening match of the 2026 World Cup, the Mexican team defeated South Africa 2–0 on home turf, securing a winning start.
Notably, both the match and the ceremony of this opening game incorporated multiple Chinese elements. "China's starting lineup: Labubu and Ma Ning" became a viral internet joke widely discussed by the public.
Labubu, a character from Chinese pop culture brand Pop Mart, appeared at the opening ceremony wearing World Cup-themed attire. Six young football players from Inner Mongolia stepped onto the pitch as flag bearers for the opening match.
According to reports, Ma Ning became the first Chinese referee to be selected for the World Cup as a main referee in nearly 20 years, ending the absence of a Chinese referee in the main referee role since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. His career path – starting as a physical education teacher in Wuxi, Jiangsu, and rising to become an international-level referee – has drawn significant attention.
According to an announcement by FIFA, in addition to the opening match, opening performances will also be held for the first matches in the Canada and United States zones of this World Cup. On June 12, Canada will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, while the United States will take on Paraguay in Los Angeles.
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