The Azteca Stadium will be the scene of the opening duel of the 2026 World Cup. Mexico will face South Africa in a first match that will be repeated 16 years after the 2026 World Cup. El Tri is the favorite for having the support of its public, but the African team does not pay much attention to this condition.

More than 80,000 people will be in the stands watching the duel between Mexico and South Africa. The Azteca Stadium will become increasingly historic as it becomes the first stadium to host three opening matches of a World Cup.

South Africa coach Hugo Broos advised his players not to give much importance to the fans who will be present in the stadium. Broos argued that the fans will not influence the field and that is how they should manage their goals.

"I think the only thing I have to tell my players is to concentrate on the game plan. That's the most important thing. Those 85,000 Mexicans don't play, they just scream. If you're a home team, it's very important to have 85,000 people behind you shouting and singing. If we're not too influenced by the noise, then we can have a good game tomorrow," the strategist analyzed.

Despite these spicy words, Hugo Broos respected the talent and potential of the Mexican team. Broos considers El Tri to be the group's strongest rival above South Korea and the Czech Republic.

"Mexico is the best team in the group. For us, tomorrow will be a very difficult game," he acknowledged.

The South African team did not play many preparation matches prior to the 2026 World Cup. Their last two matches were a 0-0 draw against Nicaragua at the end of May and another 1-1 draw against Jamaica at the beginning of June. Broos assured that they are ready to face the first match of the 2026 World Cup.

"We have to be at our best level. We also need a little luck. But I can assure you that my team is ready and we are going to fight for every meter and every ball during the 90 minutes. And after that, we will see the results," said the Belgian strategist.