Follow live and listen on 5 Live as the 2026 Fifa World Cup gets under way with co-hosts Mexico facing South Africa.

It’s the first of 104 World Cup matches over the next 39 days, in June and July. “Almost eight years to the day that Canada, Mexico and USA were appointed co-hosts of the FIFA

Stadium entry points and concourses are equipped with advanced facial recognition software and AI-powered monitoring systems. These tools scan faces in real-time, matching them against security databases.

Bafana Bafana are set to take on Mexico in their World Cup opener, with coach Hugo Broos expressing confidence in his team’s readiness to face a formidable opponent on home turf.

As the FIFA World Cup 2026 starts on Thursday, Mexico are up against South Africa in the opener at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Heres how the capital city is preparing for the mega clash.

USA TODAY's soccer are following all the action as the Mexico National Team and South Africa National Team meet in the 2026 World Cup