A very big one World Cup The historic tournament has arrived in North America, and soccer fans around the world are excited for the opening games and star-studded events on Thursday and Friday.
From Mexico City to New York in Toronto, millions of spectators decked out in their country's colors will gather to watch the nation's 48 national soccer teams compete in the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup. It is the first time that the tournament has used a newly expanded field, from the previous 32-team field that has been in place since 1998.
It is also the first time that three countries have hosted the world's most watched sporting events.
Opening ceremonies for the 2026 world cup
As games are played 11 cities in the US, Mexico and Canadafans get three World Cup opening events.
Before the start of the Group A match between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Shakira and Burna Boy will perform “Dai Dai,” the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, at the opening ceremony.
The show will begin at 11:30 a.m. local time (1:30 p.m. ET) and will feature other musicians featured on the first-ever FIFA World Cup album, including Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla, according to FIFA.
Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images
In Toronto on Friday, host Canada welcomes Bosnia and Herzegovina to the newly renovated BMO Field. The stadium has increased from 28,000 to 45,000 to prepare for the World Cup crowds.
Ninety minutes before kickoff, at 1:30 pm ET, the Great White North will host an opening ceremony with Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, Michael Bublé and other performers.
The opening ceremony of the United States will also take place on Friday as US Men's National Team face Paraguay in their 2026 World Cup opener. Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla will headline the celebrations Los Angeles is set for 4:30 pm local time (7:30 pm ET).
“The list of artists reflects the cultural diversity of the United States and its many diaspora movements, highlighting the nation's rich influence in music, entertainment and pop culture, while demonstrating the power of music to unite people across the country,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Group A's first match of the World Cup is a rematch of 2010
After the opening ceremony on Thursday, June 11, Mexico and South Africa will face each other at 2 pm local time (3 pm ET).
The matchup feels like déjà vu, as the two countries met again on June 11 when South Africa hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They drew 1-1. This time, the Mexican national team will have the opportunity to play on their home field.
Another Group A match on Thursday at 9pm local time (11pm ET) will be between South Korea and Czechia at Akron Stadium in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico.
On Friday, Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina will kick off at 3 pm ET in the first game of Group B. It will be Canada's first World Cup game at home.
At SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the United States vs. Paraguay game is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time (9 p.m. ET). The last time the US Men's National Team played a World Cup game at home was July 4, 1994, when they lost 1-0 in the Round of 16 against eventual champions Brazil.
The Americans will play on brand new kits inspired by past jerseys, including the stripes of the past 32 years, Nike said.
John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images 
You can follow World Cup news and highlights from every tournament on CBSSports.com.
US steps up security for 2026 World Cup
The FBI has assembled tactical teams in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, HoustonKansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle as cities are welcoming an unprecedented number of football fans, FBI Director Kash Patel announced earlier this week.
The team of disaster response experts “will help support the massive security operation involved in protecting players, fans and visitors,” Patel said. Fans who will attend the games in person Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, may need to arrive more than an hour early to secure it, reports CBS Boston.
Marlo Graham, special agent in charge of the FBI Atlanta field office, he told CBS Atlanta that preparing for the men's World Cup is no different from other major events. The only difference is that the tournament has 39 days.
“Our tactical teams have been training together with other tactical teams from other agencies for months prior to this,” Graham said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will also be involved in security at the World Cup. White House border chief Tom Homan told CBS News last week that ICE's “primary focus” will be homeland security, not immigration enforcement.
The tournament follows a more than year-long effort by the Trump administration to tighten access to the US, which has sparked concerns that the games could have an impact.
A Somali soccer referee who was considered to officiate at the FIFA World Cup he was banned from entering the US Over the weekend, Customs and Border Protection in a statement on Monday, citing “examination concerns.” A FIFA spokesman confirmed that Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry to the US, but officials did not give a reason.
What can you bring to the 2026 World Cup pitches?
FIFA's stadium code of conduct states that non-revealing bags and dangerous items, including weapons, body armor, helmets, umbrellas, carts and seats, are not allowed inside World Cup matches.
The organization initially banned “bottles, cups, jars, cans or any other type of closed container that can be thrown or cause injury,” as well as branded water bottles. But with the games taking place in the middle of summer, extreme heat has become a health and safety concern, and FIFA received backlash from fans over the reusable water bottle rule.
“What's next? Suncream banned and fans forced to buy it at stadiums?” The Free Lions, a group of English football fans, wrote on X. “Naturally, the immediate thought of fans is that this is the latest money grab.”
FIFA 2026 World Cup Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi later clarified on social media that a soft, plastic, disposable, factory-sealed water bottle of up to 20 ounces will be allowed per spectator at stadiums in the US and Canada. Reusable hard water bottles are not allowed.
Beverages including water, sodas and juices sold at World Cup stadiums are exclusively provided by FIFA's long-time sponsor Coca-Cola, the Associated Press reported.
World Cup fans are happy despite the “bad” ticket prices.
With games being played across 16 arenas, many fans will be able to see the action firsthand — if they can afford what one fan called “very bad.” ticket prices.
“It's a very punitive number in terms of ticket prices,” said Phil Labas, captain of the Chicago chapter of the American Outlaws, a group of 30,000 football fans in the US.
Ticket prices for the group stage of the World Cup have risen to hundreds and even thousands of dollars for some games. Labas told CBS News that he has attended almost every US soccer event in the past four years, but this year's World Cup at home has pushed the Outlaws to a nosedive.
“We're in the 300th category. We're right around the corner … It's complete nonsense,” he said.
While Labas and the rest of the American Outlaws will be further away from the action than they'd like, they say they're up for the challenge.
“You will hear us, you will see us when they go up, but we will be there,” said Labas.
Teams to watch at the 2026 World Cup
As the 2026 World Cup is expected one of the biggest gambling events all the time, bettors keep a close eye on the favorites to get out of the group stages.
German economist Joachim Klement, who has predicted the last three World Cup winners, told CBS News' Ramy Inocencio that his pick for 2026 is an unlikely team: the Netherlands.
Klement said he is putting the small country ahead of sportsbook favorites such as France, Spain, England and Brazil because the Netherlands is among “the teams that always play well.” The Netherlands have reached the final of the FIFA World Cup three times, in 1974, 1978 and 2010.
“I think they have a team without real stars [Lionel] Messi of Argentina, but they are the best team in the performance of every player in the team. So there's not really a weak spot,” he said. “Second they have a really good defense, and in football more than most other sports, the saying goes that offense wins games, defense wins championships.”
Regarding the US, Klement said there is good news and bad news.
For the Americans in Group D, the good news is that the USMNT is evenly matched with Paraguay, Australia and Turkey, giving the US a chance to get out of the group stage and possibly set up a run to at least the quarterfinals, he said. However, the bad news is that soccer isn't just America's favorite pastime.
“The US has so many competitive sports that it's not the dominant, most important sport in the US,” Klement said. “Although if you go anywhere in Europe or Latin America, there's soccer and then there's more.”
Despite the level of soccer's popularity, Bookies.com predicts that Americans will bet $3.1 billion on World Cup games through online sports betting. That's from $1.8 billion by 2022, CBS News previously reported. Speculation markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket are expected to handle another $2.4 billion in betting, according to a forecast by an online sports betting site.
