Hosts have lost only one team in opening match performances before the start of the 2026 World Cup.
On 11 June 2026, we review the performance of host nations in the opening matches of the FIFA World Cup prior to the official kickoff of the 2026 tournament tonight. This will be the first time the event is hosted jointly by three countries: the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The FIFA World Cup final stage first scheduled the host nation to play in the opening match in 2006 in Germany. By the 2026 World Cup, this will be the sixth time the host country plays the tournament's opening game.
It turns out that Qatar was the only sole host nation to lose its opening match in the 2022 World Cup. The performances of host nations in the five previous opening matches are as follows:
2006 (Germany as host) Germany 4-2 Costa Rica
2010 (South Africa as host) South Africa 1-1 Mexico
2014 (Brazil as host) Brazil 3-1 Croatia
2018 (Russia as host) Russia 5-0 Saudi Arabia
2022 (Qatar as host) Qatar 0-2 Ecuador
The opening match of the 2026 World Cup will feature Mexico against South Africa in Group A at Mexico City Stadium. The match is scheduled for tonight, coinciding with early morning 12 June at 02:00 a.m. Thai time.