The Extraordinary World Cup starts today with 48 teams, three countries and 104 games

The 2026 World Cup will begin at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City with the inaugural match between Mexico and South Africa, which will return the historic Mexican stadium to the center of world football four decades after one of the most remembered moments of Diego Armando Maradona's career.

For the first time,the World Cup will be jointly organized by three countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada, plus 48 teams will participate, more than ever, and 104 games will be played, figures never seen before in the history of the tournament.

Curazao will be the smallest country in the world to play the final stage, and Cape Verde, Jordan and Uzbekistan will also debut in the highest international football competition.

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar will participate for the last time in a World Cup, a tournament that places Argentina among the favorites alongside Spain, France, England and Portugal.

The competition ends on July 19 in New York, and in the final, FIFA expects to gather millions of viewers across the globe.

Polemics

Beyond sports, the tournament has begun surrounded by controversy over the restrictions on access to the country imposed by the United States, which has led to the suspension of visas for some fans and the reporting of problems of access to the country by some participants.

The most noteworthy case is that ofSomali judge Omar Artan, named the best judge in Africa in 2025, who will not be able to participate in the tournament because he has not been allowed access by the US authorities.

With the memory of the great World Championships of the past and many questions off the field, the World Cup begins a month-long competition that will bring back the attention of billions of fans.