Key events
Right, a huge chunk of overnight reading for you, if you’re getting up in Europe.
Jonathan Wilson in Mexico City sets the scene for the tournament and takes the temperature in the Mexican capital.
Jonathan Liew is on form, as ever, skewering Gianni Infantino’s cowardice.
Fifa has already articulated its worldview most eloquently. Indeed in continuing to parrot the phrase “football unites the world” like a malfunctioning pull-string doll, Infantino is tacitly expressing his opinion that there are people he simply does not consider part of the world, perhaps does not even consider human at all. And so to the jailed dissidents of Russia and the nameless migrant workers of Qatar we can add the imagined enemies of the Trump White House: whether Senegalese football supporters or reporters asking questions or a referee from Somalia embarking on the greatest honour of his professional life
Pablo Iglesias Maurer is similarly on point, after enduring Gianni’s press conference so we didn’t have to:
Our latest team guides spotlight Ghana and Panama:
And Sid Lowe talks to Mauricio Pochettino, who’s bullish about the USA’s chances:
Domestic news: Wolves have sacked Rob Edwards, Sky Sports is reporting, the manager paying the price for failing to stop the club’s slide to relegation from the Premier League. More to follow
Preamble
Greetings everyone. It’s here! The biggest, possibly most controversial and strangest World Cup yet. After months and years of chatter and hype, fear and loathing, we’ll actually have some football to get stuck into from this afternoon/evening. It’s coming up to 1am in Mexico City as the co-hosts enjoy their last sleep before it all starts. And where better to start than the Azteca Stadium, one of the most storied venues in the world, lit up by Pelé and Diego Maradona among others back in the day?
Mexico, too, is a proper football country, though there’s no point pretending there haven’t been problems. The capital has been convulsed by strikes and demonstrations, and protesters may make their presence felt today. We’ll be across every element of the big kick-off as we count down to the opening ceremony and Mexico v South Africa. The show starts at 11.30am local time (6.30pm BST, 1.30pm ET) and will be headlined by Shakira, because it’s always headlined by Shakira, and Burna Boy.
There’s plenty to get stuck in to before then, mind, not least the latest from the England camp, which will be a chipper place this morning after yesterday’s smooth 3-0 cruise against Costa Rica. Everything went pretty much to plan, aside from the brutal thunderstorm that delayed the kick-off. Jude Bellingham gelled nicely with Harry Kane, Anthony Gordon excelled and Ollie Watkins came off the bench to good effect. What could possibly go wrong?
Oh, and Gianni Infantino said some self-justifying stuff about how we should all “chill” and not worry our pretty little heads about the multiple injustices piling up around his tournament. Let the fun begin.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/jun/11/world-cup-2026-countdown-opener-mexico-south-africa-south-korea-czechialive
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