MEXI-GO!
There’s an elemental force to football that can never be bottled and sold off. For reasons only known to Gianni Infantino and attendant pen pushers, the Azteca has been renamed the Mexico City Stadium for the Geopolitics World Cup. You can change a name for admin purposes, make punters pay through the nose for tickets, and charge 280 pesos ($17) for a beer (!) but legacy endures. It cannot be costed, sliced and diced. The ghosts of 1970 and 1986 were present and correct, just as present as JJ Balvin, Salma Hayek, David Guetta, EJAE and Andrea Bocelli were for a decent enough opening ceremony as these autotune extravaganzas go. Few would term Mexico 2-0 South Africa a classic tournament opener for the GWC but it served plenty of reminders this still actually means more.
Eternal infamy for Yaya Sithole, whose second-half red card was probably salvation after an all-timer in defensive calamity. The unsheathing of that red, and two others, made the Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio his own history. There was a lovely moment for Raúl Jiménez, too, as he got on the scoresheet before the Mexican fans booed their team for not piling on the agony for a South African side whose performance was so dreadful it left Quinton Fortune, Aaron Mokoena and Benni McCarthy, South African TV pundits, in speechless catatonia. “What do we say, what went wrong in this game?” asked the anchorman. Answer came there none.
The emotions of the Mexican scorers were diametrically opposed to the deep misery of the vanquished Bafana Bafana. Still, it might help that South Africa’s coach, Hugo Broos is a positive thinker bordering on delusion. “I saw a desperate Mexico,” he roared. “They didn’t know what to do with the ball. The organisation was perfect defensively.” OK, mate. Up in the stands of the “Azteca”, Infantino was surrounded by his praetorian guard of football legends, Roberto Baggio directly behind him. Mexican protests against real-life issues had not affected the big kick-off too drastically, and though journalists in the media tribune complained of fading wifi, the whole thing passed off as uneventfully as might be hoped.
There was, though, a coda. Guadalajara hosted the second match, a rather entertaining comeback win for South Korea over Czechia, attacking football triumphing over a set-piece approach that resembled Dave Bassett’s Wimbledon on steroids. Vladimir Coufal was the long-throwing man with the golden arm who set up Ladislav Krejci’s opener before neat strikes from Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu won it. Classic group-stage fare, though the headlines went elsewhere. The official Fifa attendance figure was 44,985, suggesting 700 empty seats though the television pictures painted a different picture. A football-mad city had voted with its feet. Fifa’s immediate reaction? To stay as mute as those South African pundits.
LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE
John Brewin will once again take the GWC news blog through to 6pm BST (1pm EDT). Taha Hashim is then due to helm minute-by-minute coverage of Canada 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina from 8pm BST (3pm EDT). The last action of the day will see USA USA USA battling to a 1-0 victory over Paraguay, with Beau Dure, kicking off at Saturday 2am BST (9pm EDT).
QUOTE OF THE DAY
At the Euros I think we got a few things wrong off the pitch, I don’t feel the group connected as well as it could have for a number of reasons. When it came to the tournament, we were seen as one of two or three teams that could win it. We weren’t playing well, which doesn’t help, so even when we were winning, we didn’t get the feeling that we were as happy as we should be” – Jude Bellingham, there, suggesting that England were lacking vibes at the Euros. Where was Conor Coady when they needed him?
RECOMMENDED READING
Everything you need to know (and more) about every squad member at the GWC. All 1,248 of them, in our essential interactive guide.
Back in the 1994 World Cup, it was suggested the games should be split into four quarters to pander to increased advertising revenue. Needless to say, this idea was treated with the intense derision that it deserved and quickly booted into touch before it was implemented. Thirty-two years later we have ‘hydration breaks’ splitting the game into quarters and two extra advertising breaks. The more things change, the more they stay the same” – Nigel Sanders.
Re: yesterday’s Football Daily. Apologies if this sounds like a story meant for a campfire but it’s hard to convey the feelings and the emotion that this tournament brings to the surface. The first tournament I distinctly remember was the 2002 World Cup – I was in India and the time difference was perfect to catch a game or two after school. I saw it all – Ronaldinho’s smile, the Ronaldo haircut, Oliver Kahn’s intimidating presence and the South Koreans going far (shout out to Turkey). The tournaments that followed were great but it never reached the same levels (for me). I swore as a 12-year-old (in 2002) that I’d go to one tournament in my lifetime; I came close in 2022 but it never came to be. Now we are in 2026, I am to be a citizen of a country that is co-hosting this tournament and, despite the ticket lottery and Fifa circus, I have secured tickets to two games. Twenty-four years later the promise is being kept. The little boy from 2002 will be proud” – Girish Chandra.
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day is … Girish Chandra. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.
RECOMMENDED LISTENING
Listen up! It’s the first World Cup Daily podcast. Join Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, Barney Ronay, Jeff Rueter and Jonathan Wilson as they look back on the big kick-off at the GWC.
NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
The head of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, says he is unable to travel to the US with other federation heads attending the 2026 Fifa World Cup because he has not been issued a visa.
The Japan captain Wataru Endo has been ruled out of the GWC with foot-knack and has immediately announced his international retirement, three days before his team’s opener against the Netherlands. “There will definitely come a time in the future when Japan win the World Cup, so let’s believe in that and support the team,” he said. “Let’s bring the strength of Japan together so that that moment can happen at this tournament in North America.”
The Socceroos head coach, Tony Popovic, has extended his contract until the 2027 Asian Games before his Australian have even kicked a ball at the GWC. “I’m delighted that I will continue to coach the Socceroos through to the Asian Cup,” the former Crystal Palace defender tooted. “From the moment I took over, I have tried to factor in the long-term interests of the Socceroos while ensuring that we achieve the short-term results, which in the first instance was qualifying for the World Cup.”
Thibaut Courtois may knock international football on the head after the GWC. The Belgium goalkeeper is 34 and keen to focus on club matters at Real Madrid to ensure he can keep playing – and earning – for as long as possible. “I don’t know if we should be talking about the future right now, but the chances are greater that I won’t continue after this tournament than that I will,” he wailed. “I still want to play for a few more years. And then you have to take care of your body. My family is here because this could be my last tournament.“
And the former Celtic forward Oh Hyeon-gyu was the hero for South Korea, striking an 80th-minute winner in a comeback victory over Czechia. The Wolves man Ladislav Krejci opened the scoring but In-beom Hwang equalised before Oh settled things late on. “The better team won,” weeped the Czechia head coach, Miroslav Koubek.
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After the shameless cash grab at this tournament, can the World Cup be saved, wonders Jonathan Liew.
KENNY JACKETT (1962-2026)
The former Watford and Wales player Kenny Jackett, who managed clubs including Millwall and Wolves, has died at the age of 64. Jackett won 31 Wales caps during a playing career spent entirely with Watford before starting his managerial career with Watford in 1996. He took charge of more than 900 games across spells with seven clubs, most recently Leyton Orient but also including Portsmouth and Swansea. Jackett was part of the Watford team that finished second in the top division in 1983 and reached an FA Cup final. He led Swansea, Millwall and Wolves to promotions and reached an FA Cup semi-final with Millwall. Watford said: “A true club legend and one of our own, Watford-born Kenny was instrumental in some of our greatest successes as a player before going on to serve as coach and then manager. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”
STILL WANT MORE?
Miss the GWC’s grand opening ceremony, AKA Shakirafest? Here are the best photos from the visual extravaganza. And here’s Alexis Petridis’s review of the show.
Gianni Infantino’s rebrand, long-haul games and more: Matt Hughes has the key takeaways from the opening match.
The co-hosts’ thunderous triumph at the Azteca offered respite from strife on Mexico City’s streets, as Pablo Iglesias Maurer details.
Iran’s World Cup camp in Tijuana is under armed guard and a political shadow, reports Alexander Abnos.
Don’t underestimate Thomas Tuchel, says Emma Hayes, who knows the England boss well from her time at Chelsea.
Come for the obligatory shot of Scotland fans posing outside the Cheers bar, stay for Paul MacInnes’s account of the Tartan Army descending on Boston in serious numbers.
Qatar manager Julen Lopetegui gets his chat on with Sid Lowe about grabbing his World Cup chance at last.
Raphaël Jocubin on the politics following the France team around after Kylian Mbappé’s swipe at the far right.
Jonathan O’Brien deep-dives into six great World Cup goals you’ve probably forgotten about.
Elliot Anderson is fast becoming the face of England amid interest from Manchester City, writes David Hytner.
And the USA USA USA, as tournament co-hosts, enter a charged tournament asking: what is enough?
BEYOND THE GWC
He’s back. Real Madrid did their customary best in trying to upstage the World Cup by announcing the long-trailed return of José Mourinho as manager on a three-year deal on Thursday, a couple of hours before Mexico v South Africa kicked off. The 63-year-old’s appointment was among the promises made by club president Florentino Perez at the recent election.
The Republic of Ireland’s upcoming Nations League game against Israel will take place at a neutral venue behind closed doors after protests by players and fans over the death toll of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Ireland had been due to host the game at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on 4 October but after campaigners called for a boycott of the game over Israel’s war in Gaza it will now be switched away from Ireland. An FAI statement said the Palestinian Football Association had “expressed its appreciation for the principled positions taken by the Football Association of Ireland in support of the rights of the Palestinian people and Palestinian athletes”.
And Beth Mead’s move from Arsenal to Manchester City has been completed, the striker signing a three-year deal with the WSL champions. “Speaking to the manager [Andrée Jeglertz], I [thought] it was a place where I can really fit in, help and bring a different dynamic to the team, so it was a no-brainer for me,” she whooped.
KENNY JACKETT (1962-2026)
The former Watford and Wales player Kenny Jackett, who managed clubs including Millwall and Wolves, has died at the age of 64. Jackett won 31 Wales caps during a playing career spent entirely with Watford before starting his managerial career with Watford in 1996. He took charge of more than 900 games across spells with seven clubs, most recently Leyton Orient but also including Portsmouth and Swansea. Jackett was part of the Watford team that finished second in the top division in 1983 and reached an FA Cup final. He led Swansea, Millwall and Wolves to promotions and reached an FA Cup semi-final with Millwall. Watford said: “A true club legend and one of our own, Watford-born Kenny was instrumental in some of our greatest successes as a player before going on to serve as coach and then manager. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”
RECOMMENDED FOLLOWING
How do you do fellow kids? Yes, there’s now a TikBook account with all things of a Big Website sporting focus. So, if you’re there, you know what to do.
MEMORY LANE
The very first World Cup game – well, the joint first, because France were busy beating Mexico 4-1 at the same time – was played out by the USA and Belgium on 13 July 1930, kick-off 3pm in Montevideo, Uruguay. Five of the American team were born in Scotland, so unsurprisingly (ahem) they ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.
‘WE’RE NORTH AMERICANS’
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