Mexico’s men to watch
Star player – Raul Jimenez, Fulham: This will be the veteran centre-forward’s fourth World Cup and, finally, he might start a game. In 2014 there was a single, six-minute appearance off the bench in a scoreless draw with Brazil. Four years later he made two cameos as a substitute without notable impact. And in Qatar he was sprung on in all three group games as El Tri went no further. On home soil and off the back of a steady campaign at Fulham, the time appears to have finally arrived for Jimenez to take a starring role. He is, by some distance, the biggest name in the present squad and there is an expectation that a player with more than 120 caps and approaching 50 international goals must fire for the co-hosts to prosper.
Will Mora start for the hosts? (Reuters)
Breakout talent – Gilberto Mora, Tijuana: The 17-year-old attacking midfielder is not just expected to play a role here but have a queue of scouts wagging their tongues at every display of flair. He has already broken a number of age records held, briefly, by Lamine Yamal and Pele – including the youngest player to win a senior international when aged 16 and 265 days. Once Mora turns 18 he is set to depart for Europe and Aguirre has seen little point in shutting down talk of him becoming a star. “He’s surely on the radar of several huge clubs around the world and it fills me with pride to see him being talked about on the global stage,” the Mexico head coach said, evidently holding few reservations around throwing a special talent in at the deepest end of all.
Alan Smith11 June 2026 17:31
It’s the Azteca but not officially
Officially Fifa would prefer that we call the Azteca, site of several of the World Cup’s most memorable moments, as Mexico City stadium.
Why? Because since last year its name is the Estadio Banorte and because Fifa do not recognise sponsorship of stadiums – unless it’s one of their own partners, presumably – they have also decided not to refer it to its old name but, in an imaginative twist, the city it is based in.
The Azteca is ready. (PA)
Alan Smith11 June 2026 17:23
South Africa squad in full
It is a largely domestic based side plucked from the big two of Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs – meaning familiarity could be their biggest strength
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Ricardo Goss (Siwelele FC), Sipho Chaine (Orlando Pirates)
Defenders: Khuliso Mudau (Mamelodi Sundowns), Olwethu Makhanya (Philadelphia Union), Bradley Cross (Kaizer Chiefs), Thabang Matuludi (Polokwane City), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Orlando Pirates), Aubrey Modiba (Mamelodi Sundowns), Khulumani Ndamane (Mamelodi Sundowns), Ime Okon (Hannover 96), Samukele Kabini (Molde FK), Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Chicago Fire)
Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Jayden Adams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thalente Mbatha (Orlando Pirates), Sphephelo Sithole (CD Tondela)
Forwards: Oswin Appollis (Orlando Pirates), Tshepang Moremi (Orlando Pirates), Evidence Makgopa (Orlando Pirates), Lyle Foster (Burnley), Iqraam Rayners (Mamelodi Sundowns), Relebohile Mofokeng (Orlando Pirates), Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns), Patrick Maswanganyi (Orlando Pirates), Kamogelo Sebelebele (Orlando Pirates), Thapelo Morena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thapelo Maseko (AEL Limassol).
Lyle Foster is one of few familiar names (Getty)
Alan Smith11 June 2026 17:16
Mexico squad in full
A number of experienced campaigners with Premier League experience are joined by Gilberto Mora, a teenager whose domestic breakthrough has captured the attention of European big guns.
Goalkeepers: Raul Rangel (Guadalajara), Guillermo Ochoa (AEL Limassol), Carlos Acevedo (Santos Laguna)
Defenders: Jorge Sanchez (PAOK), Israel Reyes (Club America), Cesar Montes (Lokomotiv Moscow), Johan Vasquez (Genoa), Jesus Gallardo (Toluca), Mateo Chavez (AZ)
Midfielders: Erik Lira (Cruz Azul), Orbelin Pineda (AEK Athens), Alvaro Fidalgo (Real Betis), Roberto Alvarado (Guadalajara), Brian Gutierrez (Guadalajara), Luis Romo (Guadalajara), Edson Alvarez (West Ham), Obed Vargas (Atletico Madrid), Gilberto Mora (Tijuana), Luis Chavez (Dynamo Moscow)
Forwards: Cesar Huerta (Anderlecht), Alexis Vega (Toluca), Julian Quinones (Al-Qadsiah), Guillermo Martinez (UNAM), Armando Gonzalez (Guadalajara), Santiago Gimenez (AC Milan), Raul Jimenez (Fulham)
Mexico’s squad training earlier this week (Reuters)
Alan Smith11 June 2026 17:09
How South Africa could fare
Back on the biggest stage for the first time since hosting in 2010, will there be a moment to rival “Goal, Bafana, Bafana” in a repeat of that opening fixture 16 years ago? Probably not.
They entered last winter’s Africa Cup of Nations with high hopes of a deep run only for Cameroon to win a round of 16 meeting 2-1, while their qualification for this tournament appeared in some jeopardy after being docked three points after midfielder Teboho Mokoena mistakenly played in a qualifier versus Lesotho despite being suspended because of an accumulation of yellow cards..
Lyle Foster, the Burnley forward, may be the only recognisable name for fans watching on from the UK but their big strength will be familiarity. Eight of the squad are clubmates for Mamelodi Sundowns, the dominant domestic team who had won eight of the previous titles before Orlando Pirates pipped them by a point this season. There are eight Pirates in the squad too.
That camaraderie will be key if they are to cause a surprise, though head coach Hugo Broos, a 74-year-old veteran, is hardly spelling out grand expectations. “We’re going to do our best but I don’t think anyone will blame us if we don’t make it out of the group,” he said recently.
Alan Smith11 June 2026 17:02
How Mexico could fare
Automatically qualified, this will be El Tri’s 18th finals appearance and they should carry reasonable hope of reaching the quarter-finals for the third time and first since 1986 – the most recent occasion they were hosts.
Led by Javier Aguirre, in his third spell, Mexico will be determined to prove a point following a nightmare start to this decade. They failed to make it out of their group in Qatar on goal difference – conceding a 95th minute goal against Saudi Arabia in their third match – and, worse, lost a succession of CONCACAF finals against the USA before regaining the Gold Cup in 2023 and retaining it last summer.
Aguirre, whose previous teams exited at the round of 16 in 2002 and 2010, was re-appointed in July 2024 and has reverted the tactical approach to a familiar brand of relative chaos after the attempts to dominate possession under Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, the former Barcelona head coach, did not yield desired results.
In ‘86 their dreams were ended by a penalty defeat to West Germany in the quarters. Given the increased size of competition 40 years on and the depth of other nations, that stage is both a realistic ambition and their likely limit – although the most likely bracket suggests England would await in the last 16.
Alan Smith11 June 2026 16:54
2010 opener revisited
This, of course, is a reverse of the 2010 opener when Mexico spoiled South Africa’s party as hosts by scoring a late equaliser.
Siphiwe Tshabalala’s thunderbolt – creating an iconic piece of commentary from Peter Drury – had teased Bafana Bafana with what briefly looked like a dream opener.
But then Rafael Marquez levelled in Soccer City as South Africa ended up exiting at the group stage.
Revenge appears unfancied tonight but who knows what pressure the co-hosts may be feeling.
Alan Smith11 June 2026 16:40
How USA ’94 changed football forever
On the day that USA ’94 started, as Jack Charlton tried to deliver instructions at Giants Stadium ahead of Ireland vs Italy the following evening, some of his players just couldn’t stop looking up. “My eyes were everywhere,” Andy Townsend said.
It wasn’t quite the World Cup as they knew it, but it was special. As Townsend and his teammates looked up, of course, the view was made all the more spectacular by how it reached into bright blue skies.
That remains the impression of USA ’94. Through all of the historic images, from a Romario toe-poke to the audacity of Gheorghe Hagi and Roberto Baggio’s final penalty miss, everything is so bright.
Miguel Delaney reflects on the impact of the previous World Cup in the US and discusses what legacy this summer’s tournament might leave:
How USA ’94 changed football forever
USA ’94 was ‘ground zero’ for ‘soccer’ in the United States. Now, with 11 American owners of Premier League clubs, the US has become the ‘ATM’ of the global game ahead of the 2026 World Cup, writes Miguel Delaney
Luke Baker11 June 2026 16:38
Trumpification of 2026 World Cup
The biggest World Cup of all time finally starts today. In so many ways, from Iran and visa issues to 48 teams and 16 venues, it is an unprecedented tournament.
Miguel Delaney, on the ground in New York, delves into the details behind the immense scale of ‘United 2026’
The most immediate numbers, at least, do illustrate this. This World Cup involves: the most ever teams, at 48; the most ever hosts, at three; the most ever venues, at 16; and the greatest ever distance between venues, at 4,780km, with all of this adding up to unprecedented astronomical cost for fans and even federations.
Miguel Delaney
Alan Smith11 June 2026 16:33
Group A guide
As Mexico raises the curtain on this World Cup against South Africa, Alan Smith delves into all things Group A:
In one of the most evocative stadiums of all and under a searing afternoon sun, the World Cup will finally begin when Mexico face South Africa. And, for many, all the justifiable gripes with a bloated format, price gouging and political manoeuvring may instantly disappear following the first glimpse of the Azteca on their TV screens.
The co-hosts, on paper, should find this group – also joined by South Korea and Czech Republic – straightforward but the outstanding question is how they will cope with the pressure and an opening day win against the least heralded of this quartet appears a must.
Luke Baker11 June 2026 16:29
