Sixteen years after playing out a 1-1 draw in the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Mexico and South Africa will once again meet in the tournament opener when the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in Mexico City in the next hour.
The match at the iconic Estadio Azteca is expected to attract more than 80,000 fans as co-hosts Mexico look to make a winning start on home soil.
The game will mark the beginning of a historic tournament, which will be the biggest FIFA World Cup ever staged.
The expanded competition will feature 48 teams and 104 matches across 39 days in the three host nations – Mexico, the United States and Canada.
Mexico will be making their 17th World Cup appearance and will have history on their side as they head into the tournament in strong form, ranked 14th in the world.
However, South Africa coach Hugo Broos believes his side is capable of causing an upset despite being ranked 60th in the FIFA rankings.
South Africa are returning to the World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010 and will be making only their fourth appearance on football's biggest stage.
South Africa's preparations have not been ideal after visa issues delayed the arrival of several members of the travelling party, reducing the team's time to acclimatise to conditions in central Mexico.
Despite the setback, Bafana Bafana will be hoping to frustrate the hosts once again and start their World Cup campaign with a positive result.
The opening match between Mexico and South Africa kicks off at 7am, while South Korea will take on the Czech Republic at 2pm.
Source: Al Jazeera
