Here’s the latest news on the opening day of the 2026 World Cup

Here are the latest developments from the 2026 World Cup. All times Eastern.

12 a.m.

South Korea opens its World Cup with a 2-1 win over Czechia in Group A play.

11:39 p.m.

Oh Hyeon-Gyu puts South Korea ahead 2-1 in the 80th minute. 

11:27 p.m.

Hwang In-Beom evens the score at 1-1 for South Korea in the 67th minute.

11:18 p.m.

Ladislav Krejci opens the scoring to put Czechia up 1-0 over South Korea in the 59th minute.

10:55 p.m.

South Korea and Czechia stand at 0-0 at halftime of their Group A matchup.

10 p.m.

South Korea and Czechia are underway in the second game of the World Cup in Zapopan, Mexico.

7 p.m.

The opening match of the World Cup delivered a rarity in international soccer: three players sent off with red cards. No World Cup match has had that many players ejected since a 2006 game between Portugal and the Netherlands, when four players received red cards — a World Cup record. The last World Cup in Qatar in 2022 had only four red cards in the entire tournament.

6:05 p.m.

As expected, captain Alphonso Davies will not be available for Canada’s World Cup opener against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday afternoon in Toronto. Davies was named to Canada’s 26-man roster, but is working his way back from a hamstring injury. Canada coach Jesse Marsch says everyone else on the roster is available for Friday’s game, including defender Moïse Bombito. He is recovering from a broken leg.

5:37 p.m.

Toronto’s run as a World Cup host city is off to a disappointing start. The threat of lightning has triggered the evacuation of the city’s official FIFA Fan Festival. Fans had flocked to the main stage of the Fort York site to watch the tournament’s opening match.

5:06 p.m.

Co-host Mexico has opened the 2026 World Cup with a 2-0 win over South Africa. Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez scored for the home side at Mexico City Stadium. The game also featured some undisciplined play with three red cards shown — two to South Africa and one to Mexico.

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4:57 p.m.

Thousands of soccer fans are gathered under sunny skies at Vancouver’s FIFA Fan Festival as the 2026 World Cup gets underway. Supporters are filling the city’s new $183-million amphitheatre at the Pacific National Exhibition grounds to watch the tournament’s opening match on giant video screens. The facility, which opened last month, can accommodate up to 10,000 people.

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4:21 p.m.

The FIFA Fan Festival in Toronto was shut down during Thursday’s World Cup opener because of the risk of lightning. Organizers said the site was evacuated out of an abundance of caution and would remain closed for the rest of the evening.

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3:56 p.m.

Mexico leads South Africa 1-0 at halftime in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Julián Quiñones put the tournament co-hosts ahead in the ninth minute.

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3:28 p.m. — Defender Moïse Bombito is remaining on Canada’s World Cup roster. Bombito’s inclusion on Canada’s official World Cup jersey-number list, released today by Canada Soccer, confirmed the defender remains on the 26-man roster. His availability is unknown, however, as he continues to recover from a broken leg. Canada opens its World Cup on Friday against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto.

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3 p.m. — The 2026 World Cup is officially underway, with co-host Mexico taking on South Africa at Mexico City Stadium. The Group A matchup is one of two opening-day contests. Czechia and South Korea play later tonight in Zapopan, Mexico.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2026.