World Cup 2026, the opening days: three hosts, three stages, one wild ride

Three countries, eleven cities, one huge promise: World Cup 2026 is here, and the opening days delivered straight away. Shakira and Burna Boy opened proceedings at a sold-out Azteca, Katy Perry got Los Angeles fired up, while Jessie Reyez sang in Toronto. But the real leading man was the pitch, because the three hosts of all teams set the early pace.

We have broken down the first four matches for you: goals, possession, expected goals and the turning points. We also look at how the football world beyond the stadiums is reacting, from 80,000 at the Azteca to streamer IShowSpeed, who broadcast the USA opener to millions. Plus the question that excites us most: how do you measure up against the World Cup strikers on our goal wall?

It was meant to be a celebration, but became a spectacle with a darker side. In front of more than 80,000 spectators, hosts Mexico opened the tournament against South Africa at Estadio Azteca, the first stadium in history to host three World Cup opening matches. On Reddit, r/worldcup was already exploding hours before kick-off: the post "It is on: the Azteca has opened its gates" picked up more than 5,700 upvotes for the moment the gates opened alone.

On the pitch, El Tri made it clear early on who would control the evening. Julián Quiñones scored in the 9th minute after an assist from Lira, while Raúl Jiménez added the second in the 67th minute (assist: Alvarado). The data was clear: 61 per cent possession, 16 shots and an expected-goals figure of 1.44 compared with a meagre 0.07. South Africa barely threatened the Mexican goal.

In the end, though, discipline made the headlines. South Africa lost Sphephelo Sithole (49th) and Themba Zwane (84th) to red cards, while Mexico's César Montes was sent off for a second booking in stoppage time. Three sendings-off in a World Cup opening match: according to the statistics, that had never happened before, as fans on X pointed out within minutes.

The USA had waited 32 years for a World Cup match on home soil, and the opening game at SoFi Stadium was pure joy. 70,492 fans turned the arena into a cauldron of noise, Katy Perry performed at the opening ceremony, and streaming phenomenon IShowSpeed broadcast the match live to more than three million viewers. "It is a party in the USA", CNN headlined, and the team provided the perfect soundtrack.

In the 7th minute, Damián Bobadilla deflected the ball into his own net under US pressure. Then Folarin Balogun took over: first he finished off a perfect pass from Christian Pulisic (31'), then he curled Malik Tillman's pass into the top corner for 3-0 (50'). Giovanni Reyna added the final touch in stoppage time to make it 4-1. It was the USA's first-ever four-goal performance at a World Cup and their biggest World Cup win.

With 65 per cent possession and 16 shots, six of them on target, the result was thoroughly deserved. Balogun capped the evening with the tournament's highest rating of 9.10. No player in the opening days was rated higher.

In Toronto, the atmosphere was already legendary before kick-off. A Reddit clip showing the crowds of fans around BMO Field collected more than 3,000 upvotes. On the pitch, though, it turned into a nervy affair for the Maple Leafs. Bosnia and Herzegovina took the lead through Jovo Lukić in the 21st minute, assisted by Kolašinac, and defended with discipline.

Canada pressed, had 60 per cent possession and nine corners, but could not find a way through for a long time. Expected goals of 1.06 to 0.98 show a closer match than the possession figures suggest. Only in the 78th minute did experienced Cyle Larin rescue the hosts with a 1-1 equaliser, set up by Jonathan David. A point that felt like a win for Canada and a loss for Bosnia. Bosnia's defensive leader Nikola Katić at least delivered one of the strongest individual displays of the opening days, with a rating of 8.30.

The weekend's best script was written by a non-host nation. In Guadalajara, South Korea trailed the Czech Republic after Krejci's goal in the 59th minute, then turned the match around in just 13 minutes. Hwang In-beom equalised in the 67th minute, assisted by Lee Kang-in, before Oh Hyeon-gyu headed in the 2-1 winner in the 80th. With a goal and an assist, Hwang was the outstanding player on the pitch and earned the second-highest rating of the opening days, 8.90. A comeback that shows this World Cup has been telling big stories from day one.

Four matches, and the record reads like a promise for the rest of the tournament. Twelve goals mean an average of 3.0 per game: pure attacking football. Already 125 different players have taken to the pitch, with nine getting on the scoresheet. And the three hosts? Unbeaten, with seven points from a possible nine.

Our live data updates minute by minute on matchdays. Anyone wanting to dig deeper can find tables, top scorers, player ratings and AI-generated match reports for every game in the World Cup data centre.

While the pros deliver in the stadiums, our community is getting involved outside. At the SportFits goal wall, 613 rounds have already been played in the first few days: 9,195 shots, 3,318 goals, giving a 36 per cent conversion rate. 267 players have not only taken aim, but also collected entries for the ten vouchers up for grabs.

And here is the comparison everyone wants: you vs the World Cup forwards. Across the first four matches, the pros have a 40 per cent conversion rate: twelve goals from 30 shots on target. That means just four percentage points separate the community from the best attackers in the world. Anyone looking to close the gap gets a fresh chance every day.