Sixteen years after the sound of vuvuzelas announced the arrival of the first Fifa World Cup on African soil, Mexico and South Africa will once again step into the spotlight to open football’s biggest tournament.
When the 2026 Fifa World Cup kicks off at the iconic Azteca Stadium on Thursday night, it will revive memories of June 11, 2010, when the same two nations met in Johannesburg. That match ended 1-1, with Siphiwe Tshabalala’s thunderous strike for Bafana Bafana becoming one of the most iconic opening goals in World Cup history before Rafael Márquez rescued a draw for Mexico.
This time, the script is reversed. In 2010 South Africa were hosts welcoming Mexico. In 2026, Mexico are the hosts extending the invitation to South Africa.
Yet the sense of history remains unmistakable. Fifa described the fixture as football “looking over its shoulder” as the same opponents reunite to raise the curtain on the global showpiece once again.
History repeats
The repeat is one of the more remarkable coincidences in World Cup history.
According to Fifa records, Mexico and South Africa are reprising the exact opening fixture from 2010, making it one of the rare occasions that a World Cup curtain-raiser has been repeated.
Football supporters were quick to notice the similarity after the draw was made, with many describing the fixture as “running it back from 2010” and the “world’s longest two-legged tie.”
While rare, World Cup opening matches have crossed paths before.
The most notable example involved Brazil and Mexico. The two countries featured in opening-day encounters on three occasions between 1950 and 1962, a consequence of the tournament format at the time, when multiple matches were played simultaneously on the opening day. Brazil won all three meetings.
However, the Mexico-South Africa reunion stands apart because it recreates the exact official curtain-raiser of a previous World Cup.
Since Fifa adopted the modern format of a single showcase opening match, such repetitions have become extraordinarily uncommon.
Full Circle for Broos
The occasion also carries personal significance for South Africa coach Hugo Broos.
The Belgian leads his side to Mexico City knowing he had previously played at the Azteca Stadium during the 1986 World Cup when Belgium faced Mexico. Four decades later, he returns to the same venue as South Africa’s head coach in another World Cup opener.
For Broos, who has indicated that he plans to retire after the tournament, it is a fitting full-circle moment.
Tshabalala’s shadow
No discussion of the fixture can escape the shadow of Tshabalala’s goal.
The left-footed strike against Mexico in 2010 remains one of the defining images of modern World Cups. Fifa has repeatedly highlighted the goal as a symbol of South Africa’s historic tournament and a moment that captured the imagination of football fans worldwide.
Whether the sequel can produce another moment as memorable remains to be seen.
But as the lights come on at the Azteca, football will witness something rare, the continuation of a story that began 16 years ago in Johannesburg.
2026 Fifa World Cup
Opening match
Mexico vs South Africa
Venue: Azteca Stadium
Date: June 11, 2026
Time: 10:00pm
NOTES
Previous World Cup Meeting: Opening match, South Africa 2010
2010 Result: South Africa 1-1 Mexico
2010 Scorers: Siphiwe Tshabalala (S. Africa), Rafael Márquez (Mexico)
Previous repeated W. Cup opening-day matchups
1950, 1954, 1962: Brazil vs Mexico
2010, 2026: Mexico vs South Africa