South Africa and Mexico will renew their World Cup rivalry when they meet in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on 11 June, exactly 16 years after the two nations kicked off the first World Cup on African soil.

The historic parallel was announced by Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie on Thursday during a media briefing in Pretoria.

“The same two countries. The same opening fixture. Exactly 16 years later. That is not a coincidence that football often gives you. When history hands you a gift like that, you do something with it,” McKenzie said.

In 2010, South Africa hosted the tournament and faced Mexico in the opening match at Soccer City in Johannesburg. The final score of the 2010 World Cup opening match between South Africa and Mexico was 1-1. This time, Bafana Bafana will play as the away side in Mexico.

To commemorate the encounter, a Legends rematch will take place on 8 June in Pachuca, Mexico, three days before the official opener. The match will feature 20 players and team management from the 2010 South African squad facing their Mexican counterparts.

The South African Football Association and the South African Masters and Legends Football Association are identifying the participants. Adidas, through SAFA, will provide the playing kit.

“We are deeply grateful to Pachuca for the role they are playing in making this possible. This is not a match happening next to the World Cup. This is a match happening because two football nations, with a shared moment in history, decided to honour that moment properly,” McKenzie said.

Following the Legends match, the South African squad will host coaching clinics on 9 and 10 June for young Mexican players and South African diaspora footballers before attending the opening match on 11 June.

The department will establish the Ekhaya Centre at the Centro Nacional de las Artes in Mexico City to promote South African culture and talent during the tournament. The centre, hosted in partnership with Brand South Africa and SA Tourism, will serve as a fan park, media centre, and venue for business networking.

“Ekhaya will be a place to watch football. It will be a place to see South African art, to hear South African music, to eat South African food,” McKenzie said.

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Up to 20 South African artists will perform at the Aldea Global centre in Mexico City, where all 48 participating nations will have exhibitions. Additional activation centres will be hosted in Atlanta and Monterrey, aligned with Bafana Bafana’s match schedule.

The department will support South African chefs, artists, journalists and podcasters travelling to cover the tournament.

“To the South African journalists, podcasters and influencers travelling with us: you are not going to Mexico on holiday. You are going to render a service to your country,” McKenzie said.

Details of the selection process will be announced in the coming days.

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