Mexico Dazzles With Spectacular 2026 World Cup Opening; President Makes History by Skipping Inaugural Match

Mexico City — Mexico kicked off the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a spectacular opening ceremony at the Estadio Ciudad de Mexico, drawing international stars and over 86,000 fans. But the event also marked an unprecedented moment: President Claudia Sheinbaum became the first head of state of a host nation to skip the tournament’s opening match.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino led the official proceedings, joined by Mexican actress Salma Hayek and other sports and entertainment figures. Meanwhile, Sheinbaum watched the opening match between Mexico and South Africa from the Deportivo Hermanos Galeana in the Gustavo A. Madero borough, mingling with fans at a Fan Fest organized by the Mexico City government.

The decision broke with decades of tradition. In 1970, President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz opened the tournament at the Azteca Stadium, and in 1986, President Miguel de la Madrid did the same. Both were met with boos from the crowd due to political unrest, but their attendance upheld the protocol of the host nation’s leader being present at the inaugural match.

The ceremony itself was a global showcase of Latin American culture and music. Shakira and Burna Boy performed the official World Cup anthem “Dai Dai,” joined by J Balvin, Mana, Belinda, Los Angeles Azules, Danny Ocean, and Lila Downs. The hour-long spectacle featured music, lights, choreography, and iconic Mexican imagery, setting the stage for the tournament’s first game.

Sheinbaum had announced weeks earlier that she would not attend any World Cup matches, preferring to stay away from stadiums during the competition. While the federal government sought to project closeness to citizens by organizing public broadcasts and free activities nationwide, the president’s absence from the world’s biggest stage did not go unnoticed.

The 2026 World Cup is the first to be co-hosted by three countries — Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Despite the political undertones, the opening day will be remembered as a historic moment for Mexico, both for the spectacle and for the unprecedented absence of its leader at the inaugural match.