Mexico to open World Cup 2026 against South Africa

The 2026 World Cup will kick off on June 11 with joint-hosts Mexico playing South Africa at the Azteca Stadium - iconic venue of the 1970 and 1986 finals - followed by South Korea against a playoff winner after the complex draw was made on Friday.
South Africa is appearing for the first time since 2010, when they drew with Mexico in the opening match but failed to reach the knockout stage.

Mexico's co-hosts the United States and Canada will join the party the next day, against Paraguay and a playoff winner - possibly Italy - respectively in Los Angeles and Toronto.
The draw for the expanded 48-team tournament, with six berths still to be filled via a series of playoffs, was hugely complicated due to various geographical sub-clauses.
However, even the lengthy draw seemed short after an opening ceremony of over an hour that included U.S.President Donald Trump being awarded the new FIFA peace prize.

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS ARGENTINA START AGAINST ALGERIA
Defending champions Argentina were grouped with Algeria, Austria and debutants Jordan, while five-times winners Brazil will play Morocco - semi-finalists in 2022 - Haiti and Scotland. The Scots are appearing in the finals for the first time since 1998, when they lost to Brazil in the opening game, while Haiti's only previous appearance came in 1974.France's first game will be versus Senegal in a repeat of one of the biggest tournament upsets, when the Africans stunned the then-holders in their first game of the 2002 tournament. Norway and one of the playoff winners complete their group.
England will start against Croatia, who beat them in the 2018 semi-finals, and also face Panama, who they thrashed 6-1 in the group stage in the same tournament, and Ghana.
Debutants Curacao, with a population of 150,000 making them by far the smallest country ever to reach the finals, face Germany, Ecuador and the Ivory Coast.
World number one-ranked Spain has a dream draw alongside debutants Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
The Netherlands are with Japan, Tunisia and a playoff winner, Belgium have Egypt, Iran and New Zealand, while Portugal face debutants Uzbekistan, Colombia and a playoff winner.
The teams outside the hosts' groups will have to wait until Saturday to find out the venues and kickoff times for their games after soccer's world governing body FIFA attempts to optimize them relating to the various worldwide TV markets.
A newly introduced seeding system ensures that the current top four in the world - Spain, holders Argentina, 2022 runners-up France and England - cannot meet until the semi-final stage if they win their groups. (Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Ken Ferris)  

Following is the draw for next year's 48-team World Cup, which will be held from June 11 to July 19.

GROUP A
Mexico
South Africa
South Korea
European Playoff D
GROUP B
Canada
European Playoff A
Qatar
Switzerland
GROUP C
Brazil
Morocco
Haiti
Scotland
GROUP D
United States
Paraguay
Australia
European
Playoff C
GROUP E
Germany
Curacao
Ivory Coast
Ecuador
GROUP F
Netherlands
Japan
European Playoff B
Tunisia
GROUP G
Belgium
Egypt
Iran
New Zealand
GROUP H
Spain
Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia
Uruguay
GROUP I
France
Senegal
FIFA Playoff 2
Norway
GROUP J
Argentina
Algeria
Austria
Jordan
GROUP K
Portugal
FIFA Playoff 1
Uzbekistan
Colombia
GROUP L
England
Croatia
Ghana
Panama