Mexico vs. South Africa: How to watch the first game of the 2026 World Cup: TV channel, start time, where to stream free, and more

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The first match of the 2026 World Cup, Mexico vs. South Africa, is almost here! Mexico, one of the tournament's three host countries, will host this Group A match at Mexico City Stadium (also known as Estadio Azteca) on Thursday, June 11 with a starting time of 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT. In the U.S.

The 2026 World Cup Opening Ceremony, featuring performances from Shakira and Burna Boy, Belinda, Danny Ocean and more, is scheduled to air 90 minutes before the match starts, at 1:30 p.m. (There will also be Opening Ceremonies in the U.S. and Canada prior to the first scheduled matches in those host countries, too.)

All World Cup games will be televised across FOX and FS1 (and Telemundo and Universo for Spanish coverage). The match is also one of two matches during the tournament that will stream free on Tubi. If you don't have cable (or an old-school TV antenna), you can tune into the game with a streaming service like FOX One, YouTube TV, DirecTV, or catch every match in Spanish on Peacock. Here's everything you need to know about watching the Mexico vs. South Africa match at the 2026 World Cup live from the U.S., and find out how you can watch every other match, too.

Where to watch the Mexico vs. South Africa match at the World Cup:

Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026

Time: 3 p.m. ET

TV channels: FOX, FS1, Telemundo, Universo

Streaming: FOX One, Tubi, YouTube TV, DirecTV, Peacock, and more

When is the Mexico vs. South Africa match at the World Cup?

The 2026 World Cup officially begins on June 11 at 3 p.m. when Mexico and South Africa kick off at Mexico City Stadium.

What channels are showing the Mexico vs. South Africa match?

FOX and FS1 will be broadcasting every World Cup game in English. Spanish-language broadcasts of every World Cup game will air on Telemundo and Universo.

Where to watch the 2026 World Cup without cable:

YouTube TV gets you all the channels you need to watch the 2026 World Cup, including Fox, FS1, Universo and Telemundo.

Right now, you can get a great deal on YouTube TV right now: $67.99/month for your first five months, then $82.99/month thereafter, and you can try it all for free for 21 days.

One thing to note: YouTube TV livestreams tend to run a slight delay, which isn't ideal if you're trying to keep up with the live game down to the exact second.

FOX One is a relatively new streaming service from FOX that launched last summer. With a subscription to FOX One, you can tune in to all your favorite FOX channels like FOX News, FOX Sports, FOX Weather, FS1, FS2, FOX Business, FOX Deportes, Big Ten Network (B1G), and local FOX stations all in one place.

FOX One offers live programming, as well as shows and movies on demand. At launch, the base price for FOX One will cost $19.99 a month, or you can save with an annual subscription for $199.99, but before you commit to a subscription, you can try it free for 7 days, which means you can catch at least a few World Cup games for nothing.

For $11/month, an ad-supported Peacock subscription lets you stream live sports and events airing on NBC, including Spanish-language broadcasts of every 2026 World Cup game. Plus, you'll get access to thousands of hours of shows and movies, including beloved sitcoms such as Parks and Recreation and The Office, every Bravo show, and much more.

For $17/month, you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription, which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.

2026 FIFA World Cup group stage schedule:

All times Eastern

Find World Cup tickets with Gametime

Thursday, June 11

Mexico vs South Africa: 3 p.m. (FOX, Tubi) — Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
South Korea vs Czechia: 10 p.m. (FS1) — Estadio Akron, Zapopan

Friday, June 12
Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina: 3 p.m. (FOX) — BMO Field, Toronto
United States vs Paraguay: 9 p.m. (FOX, Tubi) — SoFi Stadium, Inglewood

Saturday, June 13
Qatar vs Switzerland: 3 p.m. (FOX) — Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara
Brazil vs Morocco: 6 p.m. (FS1) — MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
Haiti vs Scotland: 9 p.m. (FS1) — Gillette Stadium, Foxborough

Sunday, June 14
Australia vs Türkiye: 12 a.m. (FS1) — BC Place, Vancouver
Germany vs Willemstad Curaçao: 1 p.m. (FOX) — NRG Stadium, Houston
Netherlands vs Japan: 4 p.m. (FOX) — AT&T Stadium, Arlington
Ivory Coast vs Ecuador: 7 p.m. (FS1) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Sweden vs Tunisia: 10 p.m. (FS1) — Estadio BBVA Bancomer, Guadalupe

Monday, June 15
Spain vs Cape Verde: 12 p.m. (FOX) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Belgium vs Egypt: 3 p.m. (FOX) — Lumen Field, Seattle
Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay: 6 p.m. (FS1) — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
Iran vs New Zealand: 9 p.m. (FS1) — SoFi Stadium, Inglewood

Tuesday, June 16
France vs Senegal: 3 p.m. (FOX) — MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
Iraq vs Norway: 6 p.m. (FOX) — Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
Argentina vs Algeria: 9 p.m. (FOX) — Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

Wednesday, June 17
Austria vs Jordan: 12 a.m. (FS1) — Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara
Portugal vs DR Congo: 1 p.m. (FOX) — NRG Stadium, Houston
England vs Croatia: 4 p.m. (FOX) — AT&T Stadium, Arlington
Ghana vs Panama: 7 p.m. (FS1) — BMO Field, Toronto
Uzbekistan vs Colombia: 10 p.m. (FS1) — Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

Thursday, June 18
Czechia vs South Africa: 12 p.m. (FOX) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina: 3 p.m. (FOX) — SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
Canada vs Qatar: 6 p.m. (FS1) — BC Place, Vancouver
Mexico vs South Korea: 9 p.m. (FOX) — Estadio Akron, Zapopan

Friday, June 19
United States vs Australia: 3 p.m. (FOX) — Lumen Field, Seattle
Scotland vs Morocco: 6 p.m. (FOX) — Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
Brazil vs Haiti: 8:30 p.m. (FOX) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Türkiye vs Paraguay: 11 p.m. (FS1) — Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara

Saturday, June 20
Netherlands vs Sweden: 1 p.m. (FOX) — NRG Stadium, Houston
Germany vs Ivory Coast: 4 p.m. (FOX) — BMO Field, Toronto
Ecuador vs Willemstad Curaçao: 8 p.m. (FS1) — Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

Sunday, June 21
Tunisia vs Japan: 12 a.m. (FS1) — Estadio BBVA Bancomer, Guadalupe
Spain vs Saudi Arabia: 12 p.m. (FOX) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Belgium vs Iran: 3 p.m. (FS1) — SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
Uruguay vs Cape Verde: 6 p.m. (FS1) — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
New Zealand vs Egypt: 9 p.m. (FS1) — BC Place, Vancouver

Monday, June 22
Argentina vs Austria: 1 p.m. (FOX) — AT&T Stadium, Arlington
France vs Iraq: 5 p.m. (FOX) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Norway vs Senegal: 8 p.m. (FOX) — MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
Jordan vs Algeria: 11 p.m. (FS1) — Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara

Tuesday, June 23
Portugal vs Uzbekistan: 1 p.m. (FOX) — NRG Stadium, Houston
England vs Ghana: 4 p.m. (FOX) — Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
Panama vs Croatia: 7 p.m. (FOX) — BMO Field, Toronto
Colombia vs DR Congo: 10 p.m. (FS1) — Estadio Akron, Zapopan

Wednesday, June 24
Switzerland vs Canada: 3 p.m. (FOX) — BC Place, Vancouver
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar: 3 p.m. (FS1) — Lumen Field, Seattle
Scotland vs Brazil: 6 p.m. (FOX) — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
Morocco vs Haiti: 6 p.m. (FS1) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Czechia vs Mexico: 9 p.m. (FOX) — Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
South Africa vs South Korea: 9 p.m. (FS1) — Estadio BBVA Bancomer, Guadalupe

Thursday, June 25
Ecuador vs Germany: 4 p.m. (FOX) — MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
Willemstad Curaçao vs Ivory Coast: 4 p.m. (FS1) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia Tunisia vs Netherlands: 7 p.m. (FOX) — Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
Japan vs Sweden: 7 p.m. (FS1) — AT&T Stadium, Arlington
Türkiye vs United States: 10 p.m. (FOX) — SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
Paraguay vs Australia: 10 p.m. (FS1) — Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara

Friday, June 26
Norway vs France: 3 p.m. (FOX) — Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
Senegal vs Iraq: 3 p.m. (FS1) — BMO Field, Toronto
Uruguay vs Spain: 8 p.m. (FOX) — Estadio Akron, Zapopan
Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia: 8 p.m. (FS1) — NRG Stadium, Houston
New Zealand vs Belgium: 11 p.m. (FOX) — BC Place, Vancouver
Egypt vs Iran: 11 p.m. (FS1) — Lumen Field, Seattle

Saturday, June 27
Panama vs England: 5 p.m. (FOX) — MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
Croatia vs Ghana: 5 p.m. (FS1) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Colombia vs Portugal: 7:30 p.m. (FOX) — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
DR Congo vs Uzbekistan: 7:30 p.m. (FS1) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Jordan vs Argentina: 10 p.m. (FOX) — AT&T Stadium, Arlington
Algeria vs Austria: 10 p.m. (FS1) — Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City