1. WORLD CUP STARTS TOMORROW — MEXICO VS SOUTH AFRICA IN MEXICO CITY
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off tomorrow, Thursday June 11, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City when hosts Mexico face South Africa in a repeat of the famous 2010 opener. Kick-off is 9pm local time / 3am Ghana time on Friday morning. The opening ceremony takes place tonight at the Azteca. The tournament spans 16 cities across the USA, Canada and Mexico — 11 American cities including New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas and Houston, three in Mexico and two in Canada. 104 matches, 48 teams, 39 days. Argentina are the defending champions. The final takes place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
2. MESSI SCORES AGAINST ICELAND — FIT FOR ARGENTINA'S OPENER
Lionel Messi, 38, came off the bench in the 70th minute of Argentina's final warm-up against Iceland on Tuesday night in Auburn, Alabama, and immediately set up a penalty with his first touch before converting it himself. Valentin Barco and Thiago Almada also scored as Argentina won 3-0 and came through unscathed. Messi had missed the first warm-up against Honduras on June 6 after suffering left hamstring fatigue at Inter Miami. Manager Scaloni had been cautious — "I just don't know how many minutes he will play" — but Messi came through 20 minutes without issue. He is confirmed fit for Argentina's Group C opener against Algeria on June 16 in Dallas. Scaloni will decide whether he starts or comes off the bench again.
3. NEYMAR STILL IN THE GYM — BRAZIL OPENER VS MOROCCO IN DOUBT
While Messi has resolved his fitness concerns, Neymar has not. The 34-year-old spent Wednesday in the gym while his Brazil teammates trained on the pitch. He did not take part in Brazil's final pre-tournament warm-up against Egypt and has not trained with the group since arriving in the USA. Brazil's national team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar confirmed the Grade 2 calf tear timeline — two to three weeks — making the June 13 opener against Morocco at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey very unlikely. Ancelotti is expected to start Raphinha and Vinicius Junior wide, with Endrick or Igor Thiago leading the line. Richarlison and Joao Pedro are the backup options in attack if Neymar is officially ruled out. The CBF have not yet confirmed a replacement.
4. OPENING CEREMONY TONIGHT — SHAKIRA, DADDY YANKEE HEADLINE
The 2026 World Cup opening ceremony takes place tonight at the Estadio Azteca before tomorrow's opener. Colombian superstar Shakira headlines the ceremony — her second World Cup performance after her iconic appearance at the 2010 final in Johannesburg. Daddy Yankee, Bad Bunny and a host of Latin American artists are also set to perform. An estimated 87,000 fans will be inside the Azteca. Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum will officially open the tournament alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The ceremony is expected to run for approximately 45 minutes before kick-off.
5. GHANA — QUEIROZ NAMES FINAL SQUAD, KUDUS IN RACE AGAINST TIME
Ghana's Carlos Queiroz has named his final 26-man World Cup squad with Mohammed Kudus included despite his quad injury. The West Ham midfielder is in a race against time to be fit for the Group L opener against Panama on June 17 in Houston. Queiroz took a calculated risk including him, banking on Kudus being fit for the England game on June 21 if not the opener. Antoine Semenyo, Kamaldeen Sulemana and Ernest Nuamah make up the wide options should Kudus miss the Panama game. Jordan Ayew captains the side. Mohammed Salisu is not in the squad. Ghana's full group: Panama (June 17, Houston), England (June 21), Croatia (June 25). Queiroz said: "We have prepared well. We respect every opponent but we fear no one."
