World Cup 2026 begins as Socceroos face tough path

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins in Mexico City on Friday morning AEST, with Mexico hosting South Africa at Estadio Azteca before a record 48-team tournament unfolds across Mexico, the United States and Canada. For Australian fans, the immediate focus is the Socceroos' Group D campaign against Türkiye, the United States and Paraguay.

The expanded format means more teams, more matches and more chances for third-placed sides to survive the group stage. It also means a long, sprawling tournament where football, travel, politics and ticket prices are already part of the conversation before the first whistle.

The Full Story

The tournament opens with Mexico v South Africa at 5am AEST on Friday, after an opening ceremony at the 83,000-seat Estadio Azteca. The venue has unusual World Cup history: it hosted finals in 1970 and 1986 and is now the first stadium to be used in three men's World Cups.

Across 39 days, 104 matches will be played in 16 cities. The final is scheduled for New York New Jersey Stadium, home of the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets, while Dallas and Atlanta will host the semi-finals and Miami will host the third-place match. SBS says Australian viewers can watch all 104 matches live, free and exclusive on SBS, SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand through its World Cup viewing guide.

Australia's road starts in Vancouver against Türkiye at 2pm AEST on Sunday, June 14. The Socceroos then meet the United States in Seattle at 5am AEST on Saturday, June 20, before facing Paraguay in Santa Clara at 12pm AEST on Friday, June 26.

The tournament has also arrived with off-field pressure. Al Jazeera reported that Mexico City teachers' union CNTE has threatened road disruption around Estadio Azteca, while President Claudia Sheinbaum has said the opener will go ahead. Iran's participation has also carried a political backdrop, with reports of visa and ticket-allocation disputes linked to its matches in the United States.

Who's Involved

FIFA is staging the tournament across three co-hosts: Mexico, the United States and Canada. The hosts qualified automatically, while Australia earned direct qualification after finishing second in its Asian Football Confederation group.

For Australia, Tony Popovic leads a 26-player Socceroos squad mixing senior tournament experience with first-time World Cup selections. Mathew Ryan is appearing at his fourth World Cup, while Nestory Irankunda, Mohamed Touré, Cristian Volpato and Jordan Bos are among the younger names expected to shape Australia's attacking and creative edge.

Group D is awkward rather than glamorous, which may suit the Socceroos. Türkiye bring Arda Güler and Hakan Calhanoglu, the United States have home advantage and a European-based core led by Christian Pulisic, and Paraguay arrive with a defensive record that makes them hard to break down.

By the Numbers

48 teams will compete, up from the 32-team format used at recent World Cups. They are split into 12 groups of four, with the top two in each group and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to a new round of 32.

The scale is huge: 104 matches over 39 days across 16 host cities. SBS notes that every game will include a three-minute water break in each half, a practical detail that matters in a tournament spread across North American summer conditions.

Ticket pricing is another number Australian fans will notice from afar. Nine reported that about 180,000 tickets remained unsold and that the average cost of a final ticket in New York had reached US$11,790, or about AU$16,775.

What This Means

For Australian viewers, this World Cup is both accessible and inconvenient. The Socceroos' first and third group games sit in friendly daytime slots, but the USA match lands at 5am AEST, the sort of alarm-clock kick-off that has long been part of following football from Australia.

The expanded format gives Australia more possible ways through, especially because third place can be enough. Still, the draw has little room for comfort: Türkiye are technically strong, the USA have home support, and Paraguay's qualifying campaign included wins over major South American opponents.

There is also a bigger question around whether expansion improves the spectacle or simply makes it heavier. More countries means more stories, including debutants such as Jordan, Uzbekistan, Curacao and Cape Verde. It also means a longer tournament with extra travel, more logistics and a higher chance that off-field issues compete with the football itself.

What to Expect

The first confirmed match is Mexico v South Africa at Estadio Azteca at 5am AEST on Friday. Canada and the United States begin their campaigns the following day, with Canada facing Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto and the USA meeting Paraguay in Los Angeles.

Australia's confirmed fixtures are Türkiye on June 14, the United States on June 20 and Paraguay on June 26, all in Australian time. If the Socceroos top the group, ABC reports they would stay in San Francisco for a round-of-32 match; if they finish second, they would head to Dallas to play the winner of Group E.