Kinshasa, June 10th, 2026 (CPA).- Mexico and South Africa are scheduled to meet on Thursday at Mexico City Stadium in Mexico, one of the three host countries of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, alongside the United States and Canada, in the opening match of Group A, according to the website of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). According to the source consulted by CPA on Wednesday, kick-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Mexico time, 9:00 p.m. Pretoria time in South Africa and 10:00 p.m. Kinshasa time, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In terms of the FIFA rankings, the match will pit two nations separated by approximately 45 places. Mexico is currently ranked 15th in the world, while South Africa occupies the 60th position, reflecting the respective performances of the two sides.
First meeting since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa
The South African Bafana Bafana will be the first of the ten African representatives to make their appearance on the world stage and will face Mexico’s El Tri—a nickname referring to the three colours of the national flag: green, white and red—in a fixture that recalls the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosted by the country of Nelson Mandela. The encounter will therefore mark a reunion between the two teams, sixteen years after their last meeting in Pretoria, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Korea and Czech Republic to meet on Thursday in Guadalajara
Following the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, another Group A fixture will take place between Korea and the Czech Republic at Guadalajara Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 10:00 p.m. local time.