Fifa 11 Pack Opener
Vannessa Rataj
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With the 2026 World Cup schedule to be released imminently, football fans both in the United States and around the world will learn the location of all games for the rapidly approaching international tournament.
It was widely expected that the famed Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will host the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A report by The Times claimed that the iconic arena will have the honor of opening the competition, and that was confirmed by FIFA as they revealed the tournament schedule on February 4, 2024.
With the Azteca will host the 2026 World Cup opener, it means that Mexico will play in the first match of the 2026 World Cup, sitting as joint-hosts alongside the United States and Mexico. Per FIFA tradition, the hosts are pre-drawn into Group A so they may play in the opening match.
Being that this is the first time multiple countries will host, there are no precedents to follow, but it seems logical that Mexico will be given a predetermined spot in Group A so it can raise the curtain at its home fortress.
As the location of both the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals, the venue is embedded in global football lore. The first saw Pele win his final World Cup title with Brazil, while the latter anointed Diego Maradona as an Argentine legend after the "Hand of God" game against England.
With Estadio Azteca officially gaining the honor of hosting the 2026 World Cup opener, it sees the venue become the only stadium across the globe to host matches at three different World Cup tournaments.
The Azteca hosted the 1970 World Cup final as Pele's 18th-minute goal led the way for a 4-1 Brazil victory over Italy. Sixteen years later at the very same stadium, Diego Maradona and Argentina emerged victorious 3-2 over West Germany thanks to an 84th minute winner from Jorge Burruchaga.
The Mexico City venue has a capacity of 80,000 spectators, but its record attendance is far greater, as 119,853 fans crammed in as Brazil topped Mexico 2-0 in a friendly, with two goals from Jairzinho. The massive crowd came after El Tri had defeated Brazil 2-1 just three days prior, so fans were clamoring to see if the hosts could trigger another upset.
The majority of the 2026 World Cup will be hosted in the United States. AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas will host the most matches, with nine games at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. Despite heavy reporting that one of those games would be the 2026 World Cup final, the big match will instead be played at MetLife Stadium in the New York City metro area.
Mexico will host 10 group stage games. The Mexican national team will play its opening match in Mexico City at Estadio Azteca, in the first game of the entire 2026 World Cup. They will then play their next games in Guadalajara, followed by a return to the Azteca in the nation's capital.
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After world No. 51 Saudi Arabia's stunning 2-1 win over third-ranked Argentina on Tuesday, November 22 at the FIFA World Cup, thoughts of another big upset early in the quadrennial tournament danced in Japan fans' minds throughout the national team's tournament-opening match against Germany.
Japan, ranked 24th in the world, scored a pair of second-half goals in an eight-minute span to fuel a 2-1 comeback victory over world No. 11 Germany in the teams' Group E opener on Wednesday in Doha. (On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia had also trailed 1-0 at halftime against the two-time World Cup champions.)
Japan's Ritsu Doan, a 71st-minute substitute, delivered the tying goal in the 75th minute. Teammate Takuma Asano, who entered the match as a substitute in the 57th minute, added the second in the 83rd at Khalifa International Stadium as four-time World Cup champion Germany (1954, 1974 and 1990 as West Germany and most recently in 2014) suffered an unexpected defeat.
Describing his mindset about entering the match as a second-half substitute with Japan trailing 1-0, Doan said: "I entered with a strong feeling that I'm the one who will decide, and I'm the only one."
"For us, it didn't matter who the opponent was, I wasn't really conscious of it," Asano told reporters. "I was just conscious of playing my own game. Everyone [on the team] was able to express themselves on the pitch and it showed in the result."
"I believe it's a historic moment, a historic victory," the manager was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. "If I think about the development of Japanese soccer, thinking of players, for them this was a big surprise."
Both of the Samurai Blue's goalscorers ply their craft for German Bundesliga teams, as do six more of Japan's 26-man World Cup squad in Qatar. Doan plays for SC Freiburg, while Asano is in his second season with Vfl Bochum.
"They're fighting in a very strong, tough, prestigious league," Moriyasu told reporters. "They've been building up their strength. In that context we believe that those divisions [Bundesliga and second division] have been contributing to the development of Japanese players.
Doan, 24, capitalized on his speed and energy to create a quality scoring chance after Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, the team captain who's appearing in his fourth World Cup, had stonewalled Takumi Minamino's attempt, perfectly executing a rebound chance.
Like Doan, the 27-year-old Minamino utilized his youthful vigor to turn the tide for Japan. Specifically, Minamo ran past Germany defender Nico Schlotterbeck and lofted a high ball from a tight angle past Neuer, sending his teammates on the sideline into instant euphoria.
For the Samurai Blue, Daizen Maeda's goal in the eighth minute was disallowed because he was offside. Teammate Junya Ito initiated the quality scoring chance with a long, pinpoint pass to Maeda, who was running near full stride as he caught up with the ball.
Moments later, Gonda was whistled for shoving Germany defender David Raum.
Then Gundogan scored on a 33rd-minute penalty, sending the ball into the lower left corner of the net to break the scoreless deadlock.
In first-half stoppage time, Germany also had a great opportunity to double its advantage, but Kai Havertz's tap-in goal (the byproduct of a beautiful crossing pass) was called off because teammate Jamal Musiala was offside.
Germany manager Hansi Flick spoke about the challenge of this match for his squad at a Tuesday news conference. "I think, yes, we have quite the challenge ahead of us tomorrow," he said, according to Kyodo News, "and that is why we tried to prepare as well as we could and I am looking forward to it."
Japan and Germany had met twice before in men's international soccer, both times were friendlies. Germany beat Japan 3-0 on December 16, 2004, in Yokohama, getting a pair of goals from Miroslav Klose (54th and 90th minutes) and another from Michael Ballack (69th).
On May 30, 2006, they played to a 2-2 draw in Leverkusen, Germany. Naohiro Tanaka scored twice for Japan (57th and 65th) before Germany mounted a comeback on a Klose tally in the 76th minute and Bastian Schweinsteiger's goal in the 80th to even the score.
Technology in the match ball used at the World Cup proved conclusively that Cristiano Ronaldo did not make any contact with the ball for Portugal's opener in their 2-0 win over Uruguay on Monday, FIFA and ball manufacturers Adidas have confirmed to ESPN.
Portugal opened the scoring in the 54th minute, but the identity of the goal scorer was shrouded in doubt, with both Bruno Fernandes and coach Fernando Santos unable to clarify postmatch whether or not Ronaldo provided the decisive final touch.
"In the match between Portugal and Uruguay, using the Connected Ball Technology housed in adidas's Al Rihla Official Match Ball, we are able to definitively show no contact on the ball from Cristiano Ronaldo for the opening goal in the game," read a statement provided to ESPN from FIFA on behalf of Adidas.
The match ball includes technology which can provide real-time data to match officials. It also captures every touch made by players with sensors, with the original press release back in July stating the technology "will help inform offside situations as well as assist in detecting unclear touches thereby ultimately improving the quality and speed of VAR decision-making process."
Fernandes' 54th-minute cross initially looked to have been directed into the net with a glancing touch by Ronaldo's head, but television replays suggested that the 37-year-old did not make contact with the ball.
Fernandes was announced as the goal scorer on the big screen in the stadium, despite Ronaldo celebrating as though the goal was his, which would have taken him to nine World Cup goals for Portugal and level with legendary former striker Eusebio.
Either way, the demand for tickets is not in question given the popularity of the Matildas and the size of the Irish diaspora in Australia, and was the reason why Football Australia and FIFA boss Gianni Infantino were so eager for the stadium switch to be made.
FIFA took this into account while weighing up the decision and gave the green light after a careful assessment of the changeover and other operational matters made it clear it will be up to the standard required for a World Cup.
The Matildas\\u2019 Women\\u2019s World Cup opener against Ireland has been locked in for Sydney\\u2019s Accor Stadium - and it could shatter a 23-year tournament record if FIFA\\u2019s seating requirements allow for it.
, FIFA has officially approved the move of the clash on July 20, which was originally slated for the new Allianz Stadium, to the city\\u2019s biggest venue to allow up to 40,000 more people to take in the historic occasion.
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