Shakira had barely left the stage at the Azteca Stadium when the first petrol bombs began to fly. The 2026 World Cup exploded into life in Mexico City with a star-studded opening ceremony — and violent clashes outside the ground that forced metro stations to shut and left riot police facing a hail of rocks, bins, bananas, and plant pots.
Mexican officials said nearly 200 hooded individuals broke away from two groups of around 800 protesters and clashed with law enforcement before the situation "was brought under control". Teachers and families of those who have gone missing in Mexico's drug war marched separately, using the global spotlight to highlight their causes.
“World Cup 2026 opens with Shakira performance and violent clashes outside Azteca Stadium as Mexico beat South Africa 2-0.”
Inside the 82,000-seat stadium, however, football took centre stage. Fans were treated to performances from Shakira, Colombia's J Balvin, Afrobeats star Burna Boy, and Latin music star Danny Ocean. Mexican singer-songwriter Fher Olvera of the pop punk band Maná sang the classic Oye Mi Amor. Opera superstar Andrea Bocelli and K-Pop singer Ejae performed the tournament's official anthem DNA, released on Wednesday, while Alejandro Fernández sang the Mexican national anthem to a chorus of 80,000 voices. Performers wore indigenous clothing and others were dressed in all gold, holding giant golden footballs above their heads.
"Bienvenida a México. Welcome to Mexico," a performer announced. "We are a nation of diversity, heritage and pride. Football carries the same heartbeat, uniting generations."
Javier Pérez, who came with his family for the opener, told the BBC: "We were lucky to get hospitality tickets and it's a unique experience. I have never been to a World Cup before so to bring my family is wonderful. I just want Mexico to get off on the right foot, win today and score a load of goals! And then we'll see how far we can go!"
Mexico delivered. Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez scored either side of half-time to secure a 2-0 win over South Africa — ending the co-hosts' misery in opening matches. But the game made unwanted history, producing three red cards, the most ever in a World Cup opener. South Africa's Yaya Sithole was sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity, and Themba Zwane was dismissed for a slap after VAR intervened to review the off-the-ball incident, in which he struck Roberto Alvarado. Mexico's Cesar Montes also received his marching orders for a late foul.
For all the drama at the Azteca, the tournament's opening day was marred by logistical failures. Large sections of empty seats appeared in stadiums, including at South Korea's overnight fixture against Czechia in Guadalajara, as the consequences of FIFA's controversial ticketing strategy became apparent. In Toronto, the FIFA Fan Festival was evacuated after one hour due to a thunderstorm warning, while in Houston supporters were turned away from the fan zone because of overcrowding fears and temperatures hitting 93 degrees Fahrenheit.
South Korea, meanwhile, came from behind to beat Czechia 2-1 at the Estadio Guadalajara. Hwang In-Beom's moment of magic cancelled out Ladislav Krejci's opener before substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu scored the winner 10 minutes from time.
Mexico co-hosts the 2026 tournament alongside the US and Canada, with those teams hosting their own opening ceremonies on Friday. For one night, at least, the football — and the violence — gave the world a story it will not forget.