Sports Desk:
The FIFA World Cup officially got underway on Thursday (11 June 2026) with the opening match, marking the beginning of the tournament featuring 48 teams. This launch signals the start of nearly six weeks of the world’s biggest football extravaganza.
Jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, this edition is being regarded as the largest World Cup in history.
The countries participating in this year’s World Cup are: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Canada (Hosts), Colombia, Congo DR, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Curaçao, Czechia, Egypt, England, Ecuador, France, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, IR Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Mexico (Hosts), Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Türkiye, United States (Hosts), Uruguay, Uzbekistan.
Organizers estimate that the tournament could generate up to 13 billion US dollars in revenue. The final will be held on 19 July in New Jersey, bringing the event to a close.
The opening ceremony lit up the historic Estadio Azteca with vibrant lights and colorful celebrations. Dancers performed around a giant replica of the World Cup trophy, while fireworks illuminated the iconic stadium. Notably, the venue previously hosted the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals and has been newly renovated for this edition.
One of the main highlights of the ceremony was the musical performances, where Colombian star Shakira and Nigerian artist Burna Boy performed the official tournament anthem “Dai, Dai,” which received an enthusiastic response from the audience.
The stage also featured performances by J Balvin and legendary Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, whose appearances added further grandeur and memorability to the opening ceremony.
