The much-awaited 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup kicks off on Thursday, 11th June, at the Estadio Barnote in Mexico City. Co-host Mexico will play in a record sixth opening-round match at a World Cup when they face South Africa, having played in the 1930, 1950, 1958, 1970, and 2010 editions.
South Africa, on the other hand, will compete for the second time in the opening game of the World Cup, having done so when they clashed at Soccer City in Johannesburg in 2010.
Cameroon was the first side from Africa to play in a World Cup opening game when François Omam-Biyik’s goal in the 67th minute shocked Diego Maradona’s Argentina, who were the defending champions, in a 1-0 defeat.
USA and Costa Rica are the other two teams from the CONCACAF region to play in a World Cup opening game. The Americans were beaten 7- 1 by Italy in Rome in 1934, while Germany defeated Costa Rica in Berlin in 2006 by 4-2.
Mexico has lost three and drawn two of the five matches played, while South Africa drew their only opening game of a World Cup when they secured a 1-1 draw against El Tri.
Check out all the opening matches of the FIFA World Cup since its inception in 1930;
| Year | Host City / Country | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Montevideo, Uruguay | France vs Mexico | 4–1 |
| 1934 | Rome, Italy | Italy vs USA | 7–1 |
| 1938 | Paris, France | Germany vs Switzerland | 1–1 |
| 1950 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Brazil vs Mexico | 4–0 |
| 1954 | Lausanne, Switzerland | Yugoslavia vs France | 1–0 |
| 1958 | Solna, Sweden | Sweden vs Mexico | 3–0 |
| 1962 | Santiago, Chile | Chile vs Switzerland | 3–1 |
| 1966 | London, England | England vs Uruguay | 0–0 |
| 1970 | Mexico City, Mexico | Mexico vs Soviet Union | 0–0 |
| 1974 | Frankfurt, West Germany | Brazil vs Yugoslavia | 0–0 |
| 1978 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | West Germany vs Poland | 0–0 |
| 1982 | Barcelona, Spain | Argentina vs Belgium | 0–1 |
| 1986 | Mexico City, Mexico | Bulgaria vs Italy | 1–1 |
| 1990 | Milan, Italy | Argentina vs Cameroon | 0–1 |
| 1994 | Chicago, USA | Germany vs Bolivia | 1–0 |
| 1998 | Saint-Denis, France | Brazil vs Scotland | 2–1 |
| 2002 | Seoul, South Korea | France vs Senegal | 0–1 |
| 2006 | Munich, Germany | Germany vs Costa Rica | 4–2 |
| 2010 | Johannesburg, South Africa | South Africa vs Mexico | 1–1 |
| 2014 | São Paulo, Brazil | Brazil vs Croatia | 3–1 |
| 2018 | Moscow, Russia | Russia vs Saudi Arabia | 5–0 |
| 2022 | Al Khor, Qatar | Qatar vs Ecuador | 0–2 |
