Almost eight years to the day after they were named as joint hosts alongside the United States and Canada, Mexico get the 2026 World Cup under way as they host South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca, and you can follow it all live with ESPN.
With their homefield advantage, Mexico have been backed by many to make an impression at the tournament, and they will want to get off to a good start in Group A in front of the eyes of the world.
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The weeks leading into the tournament have been dominated by off-field issues, but the football will take centre stage once the match kicks off in Mexico City.
Schools in the capital have been closed and government workers have been told to work from home in an effort to ease traffic around a city dealing with an influx of supporters, media and VIPs.
Mexico's Group A rivals South Korea and Czechia begin their World Cup campaigns when they face off in Guadalajara in the early hours of Friday morning in the UK.
The World Cup's other host countries, the United States and Mexico play their openers later on Friday when they take on Paraguay and Bosnia-Herzegovina, respectively.
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