2026 World Cup Opening Days: Mexico’s Flying Start, Canada’s Historic Point, and Brazil vs. Morocco Tonight

Later that evening in Guadalajara, South Korea came from behind to beat Czechia 2-1 in the same group, fueled by an impressive goal and assist from Hwang In-beom . These were the first two of 104 total matches that will unfold over the coming five weeks .

Day Two: Canada makes history, USA dominates

Friday, June 12, brought historic moments for both remaining co-hosts.

In Toronto, Canada earned its first-ever point in a men's World Cup, drawing 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina. A late equalizer from Cyle Larin—his first goal for Canada since October 2024—ignited an electric atmosphere at BMO Field . Before the match, Canada’s six World Cup matches without a point were tied with El Salvador for the most by any nation in tournament history .

In Inglewood, California, the U.S. men’s national team cruised past Paraguay 4-1 in their Group D opener at SoFi Stadium . The performance confirmed the co-hosts’ status as a formidable force in the group while providing a perfect lift for the American audience.

Why 2026 is already a record-breaking tournament

Beyond the on-field drama, the 2026 edition is rewriting the FIFA record books. These are the most significant milestones:

• First 48-team World Cup: The tournament expanded from 32 to 48 teams, adding 16 additional nations. The total number of matches has jumped from 64 to 104, and the competition will last 39 days .
• First jointly hosted by three nations: The United States, Canada, and Mexico are co-hosting for the first time, with each host nation playing its opening match on home soil .
• 104 matches across 16 stadiums: The 16 host cities include 11 in the U.S. (such as Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, and Seattle), 2 in Canada (Toronto and Vancouver), and 3 in Mexico (Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey) .
• Debutant nations: Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan are making their tournament debuts, expanding the global footprint of the competition .
• New knockout round: The expansion introduces a round of 32, meaning 12 group winners, 12 group runners-up, and the 8 best third-placed teams advance to the knockout stage .

Tonight's spotlight: Brazil vs. Morocco at MetLife Stadium

The early momentum now builds toward Saturday’s marquee match: Brazil vs. Morocco (Group C).

The five-time champions begin their quest for a sixth title at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on June 13 at 6 p.m. ET (broadcast on FS1 and Telemundo in the U.S.) . This is the first World Cup match ever held in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan region .

Brazil enter as heavy favorites (-175 on the moneyline) . However, Morocco won the teams’ most recent meeting—a 2-1 friendly in 2023—and have only faced Brazil once before at a World Cup, a 3-0 Brazilian win in 1998 . Group C also includes Haiti and Scotland, with the winner of tonight’s clash likely securing the path to the top of the group .

For viewers, the match is available on BBC One in the UK, Zee5 in India, SBS in Australia, and Fox Sports in the U.S., with streaming options including Peacock and Fubo TV .

Other matches on June 13 include Haiti vs. Scotland in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Australia vs. Türkiye in Vancouver .

The group stage continues through June 27, before the tournament moves into the newly introduced round of 32 .