FIFA Men's World Cup kicks off. Here are five things to know
Estadio Azteca is one of the great theaters in the soccer world. It's no longer the cavern that held nearly 115,000 fans for the 1986 FIFA Men's World Cup final, but it's still among the most storied and intimidating venues in North America and beyond.
And it's the perfect venue for the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup to start.
A tournament rife with problems away from the field gets started on Thursday afternoon when Mexico steps into Azteca - renamed Mexico City Stadium for the tourney - to face South Africa in the first of 104 matches before a champion is finally crowned on July 19 at the Meadowlands outside of New York.
FIFA is desperately hoping to get the attention back on the field. Between a Somali referee being denied entry into the U.S. and unable to work the tournament, to Iran's claim of having tickets pulled from its allocation, to concerns about soft sales possibly leading to partly empty stadiums because of ticket prices, the past few days have not helped the overall impression of this World Cup.
Seeing El Tri playing in its national stadium has the chance to help get a little bit of the focus back on the soccer. Locally, there will be plenty of eyes on whether former Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas ends up featuring for Mexico. It's unlikely he'll be a starter against South Africa, but Vargas could be a sub off the bench at just 20 years old.
Azteca was mostly unused the past couple of years because of renovations for the tournament that certainly will help its future as a venue for international NFL games. It's one of two venues being used in this tournament that's previously hosted a World Cup final. Azteca was the site of the 1970 final won by Brazil and again in 1986 won by Argentina.
The other venue that's hosted a World Cup final? That would be BC Place in Vancouver, which hosted the 2015 Women's World Cup final won by the U.S.
Seattle waits
While the tournament gets started in Mexico, there are still several days before games begin here with Belgium facing Egypt next Monday. The Red Devils arrived in Seattle on Monday and held their first training session at the Sounders training facility on Tuesday.
The Pharaohs, who have their base camp across the state in Spokane, held an open practice on Wednesday at Gonzaga University that drew several hundred fans. The onlookers even included Gonzaga men's hoops coach Mark Few getting a glance of an Egypt squad that includes Mohamed Salah.
The other "home teams"
Once the opener wraps up on Thursday, much of the focus will turn to Toronto and Los Angeles where the other home teams will make their debuts on Friday. And both have a decided Seattle angle.
Canada will face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday afternoon in Toronto, while the U.S. takes on Paraguay a few hours later at Sofi Stadium. A result for Bosnia would certainly change its expectations for the tournament and perhaps heighten the significance of its match on June 24 at Lumen Field against Qatar.
For the U.S., the next stop is here against Australia next Friday. And anything short of a win over Paraguay will amplify the pressure on the Americans going into the match with the Socceroos.
The other match
While Mexico's opener will understandably get the most attention on the opening day of the tournament, the second match between South Korea and Czechia on Thursday in Guadalajara is the more interesting matchup. A winner in the match would gain a significant edge on at least second place in the group and automatic advancement to the knockout stage.
Finally, predictions
Everyone loves predictions - and mocking us when we're wrong - so here is some of The Seattle Times sports staff picks for the World Cup:
Tim Booth
Winner: England; U.S. result: loses in round of 16; Biggest surprise: Ecuador; Biggest disappointment: Mexico.
Jayda Evans
Winner: France; U.S. result: loses in round of 16; Biggest surprise: Senegal; Biggest disappointment: England
Andy Yamashita
Winner: Spain; U.S. result: loses in round of 16; Biggest surprise: Japan; Biggest disappointment: Portugal.
Mike Vorel
Winner: France; U.S. result: loses in round of 16; Biggest surprise: Scotland; Biggest disappointment: Brazil
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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 6:44 AM.