Four years. That is how long we have been waiting since the last final, and it all changes tomorrow. The 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11 (June 12 here at the bottom of the world) with the co-hosts Mexico against South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. I have had this date circled for months, and I am not ashamed to say I felt a little flutter typing it out.

Let me get the practical stuff out of the way first, because I know that is why half of you clicked. The opening match kicks off around 7am NZT on Friday June 12. Before that, from roughly 5am NZT, there is the first of three opening ceremonies, with Shakira and Burna Boy performing the official tournament song. The whole thing is free on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+, so set an alarm, make a coffee, and watch the tournament arrive. If you want every one of the 104 matches, you will need the TVNZ+ Event Pass, but the big games and all the All Whites fixtures are free to air.

The Azteca, again

There is something perfect about this World Cup starting at the Azteca. This is the stadium where Pele lifted the trophy in 1970 and where Maradona did the two things in 1986 that South Americans of a certain age will argue about until they die: the Hand of God and then the greatest goal anyone has ever scored. Now the old cathedral becomes the first ground in history to host three World Cup opening matches. They have renovated it, the capacity sits north of 87,000, and it is going to be absolutely roaring. As a South American transplanted to New Zealand, I get a little emotional about places like this. The Azteca is not just a stadium, it is a piece of our football religion.

Mexico vs South Africa: what to expect

On paper Mexico should win, and win comfortably. They are at home, they have the noise, and they have the pressure, which is a double edged thing for El Tri. The talking point in their camp is up front: Raul Jimenez, 34 and coming off a genuinely good season at Fulham, is expected to lead the line, which means the AC Milan man Santiago Gimenez starts on the bench despite a strong year in Serie A. If I am the Mexico coach I am tempted by Gimenez, but you cannot argue with Jimenez when he is sharp. Keep an eye too on the young midfielder Gilberto Mora, who is the kind of name nobody outside Mexico knows yet and everybody might know by July.

South Africa are not here to make up the numbers, though. Bafana Bafana qualified playing brave, quick football, and this is a rematch of the 2010 opener that finished 1-1 in Johannesburg (Siphiwe Tshabalala, that goal, that song, you remember). Left-back Aubrey Modiba is back in training after a hamstring scare, which matters because South Africa love to attack down the flanks. If they sit in and get a draw out of the Azteca, that is a result that travels around the world. I would not be shocked. I would be delighted, actually, because I have a soft spot for the team nobody fancies.

Three countries, three openings

This is the first World Cup spread across three host nations, and so for the first time there are three opening ceremonies. After Mexico get the party going, it moves to Toronto, where Canada host Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field, and then to Los Angeles, where the United States face Panama at SoFi Stadium with Katy Perry headlining. Forty-eight teams, the biggest field ever. It is a lot. Some of it is corporate and over-produced and not really my thing, but underneath all of that is the same game I grew up watching on a grainy screen in another hemisphere, and I will take it.

And then it is our turn

For us in New Zealand the countdown within the countdown is on. Once the opener is done, the All Whites are five days out from their first match against Iran on June 16 at 1pm NZT, then Egypt on June 22 at 1pm NZT, and Belgium on June 27 at 3pm NZT, all free on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+. Those afternoon kick-off times are a gift. No 3am heroics required for the games that matter most to us.

But that is for next week. Tomorrow morning is about sitting down, watching the Azteca shake, and letting it sink in that the World Cup is finally, actually here. I will be up at 5. See you there.