Mexico vs. South Africa
Group A | Match 1
Thursday, June 11, 2026
2:00 p.m. CT
Mexico City Stadium – Mexico City
Where to Watch:
Chicago Fire Soccer Celebration, presented by McDonald's
Recess
838 W Kinzie St,
Chicago, IL 60642
How to Watch:
English: FOX – Ian Darke & Landon Donovan
Español: Telemundo/Peacock – José Luis López Salido & Jorge Calvo
How to Listen:
English: Fox Sports on SiriusXM (ch. 83) | iHeartRadio App
Spanish: Qué Buena 105.1 FM | FDP Radio App
Match Preview
At long last, FIFA World Cup 2026 is here.
Four years after Argentina lifted its third World Cup, the world arrives in North America, where 48 teams will compete for the most coveted trophy in sports, in front of more eyes than any other event in history.
For Chicago Fire FC defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi, it is a dream come true. The 20-year-old center back was called to represent his home country, South Africa, after a brilliant start to his Fire career. His determined yet surgical defending has earned him the adoration of the South African faithful, who voted for him en masse to also represent the Men in Red in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game. But for Mbo, as his teammates in Chicago call him, his sole focus will be getting a result in an iconic stage: Mexico City Stadium (historically named Estadio Azteca), the only venue to host three World Cups.
Ahead of Mbokazi and South Africa lies a daunting task – getting a result against host Mexico on home soil. El Tri has never lost a World Cup match at the legendary venue, racking up five wins in seven tries. The hosts will count on a mix of veterans like forward Raul Jiménez and midfielder Edson Álvarez, as well as a new generation of players earning their first minutes of action in the competition. Among that list of new faces is a familiar one for Fire fans: Brian Gutiérrez, the Homegrown midfielder and Chicago native who left his hometown club this winter for his parents' homeland, where his scintillating performances led to a call-up and possible match-up against the newest member of the Men in Red.
Mexico vs. South Africa All-Time:
Mexico: 0 wins, 2 goals
South Africa: 1 win, 3 goals
1 draw
Match Notes
- The match will be the third between South Africa and Mexico in an official competition, but the second to open the World Cup. In the first World Cup match held in African soil, hosts South Africa and Mexico played to a 1-1 draw in front of 84,490 fans at Soccer City in Johannesburg. Today's opener will happen exactly 16 years after Siphiwe Tshabalala won the hearts of millions with the opening goal of the 2010 tournament in his home nation.
- Mbekezeli Mbokazi only has 10 caps to his name, but is expected to start for South Africa in the opening match. If he does, he will be the fifth Chicago Fire player to earn a start in the World Cup, following Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos (1998), American duo DaMarcus Beasley and Josh Wolff (2002) and Swiss midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri (2022).
- With an appearance or start for Mexico, midfielder Brian Gutiérrez would become the first Chicago Fire Academy player to take part in a World Cup. His former teammate, goalkeeper Chris Brady, was named to the USMNT's roster days before Gutiérrez made the final cut for Mexico; Gutiérrez thus becomes the second Academy player to earn a call-up, but could win the friendly rivalry by appearing in a match first.
Starting Lineups
Lineups will be named approximately one hour prior to first kick in Mexico City.
Follow the World Cup with Chicago Fire FC on X (@chicagofire and @VamosFire using hashtags #cf97), Instagram (@chicagofire), TikTok (@chicagofire), Facebook at facebook.com/chicagofire/, Threads (@chicagofire) and Bluesky (@chicagofire.bsky.social).
