WASHINGTON — The 2026 World Cup will kick off on June 11 with joint-host Mexico playing South Africa at Azteca Stadium — the iconic venue of the 1970 and 1986 finals — followed by South Korea against a playoff winner after the complex draw was made on Friday.

South Africa is appearing for the first time since 2010, when it drew with Mexico in the opening match but failed to reach the knockout stage.

Mexico's co-hosts — the United States and Canada — will join the party the next day, against Paraguay and a playoff winner — possibly Italy — respectively in Los Angeles and Toronto.

The draw for the expanded 48-team tournament, with six berths still to be filled via a series of playoffs, was hugely complicated due to various geographical sub-clauses.

However, even the lengthy draw seemed s

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