FIFA World Cup starts from today. For the first time, 3 countries (America, Canada, Mexico) are hosting it. 48 teams will play 104 matches in this historic tournament. The final will be held on July 19 in New York.
Mexico City: The four-year long wait of football fans around the world is now over. Now a storm of passion and thrill is about to come on the plains. The FIFA World Cup is starting tonight. According to Indian time, host Mexico will face South Africa in the opening match at 12.30 pm.
This is going to be the biggest World Cup in football history. This is the first time that three countries (America, Canada and Mexico) are hosting the tournament together. This time 48 teams will try hard for the title. A total of 104 matches will be played at 16 different venues. 48 teams are divided into 12 groups. The top two teams of each group and the eight best performing third-place teams will qualify for the knockout round. The new king of the football world will be decided in the final to be held in New York on July 19.
Current champion Argentina will aim to defend its title, while teams like Brazil, France, Spain and Germany are all set to snatch back the crown. Portugal and Netherlands will enter the field with the dream of their first World Cup, while teams like Morocco and Japan have the potential to cause a major upset.
Another special thing about this World Cup is that it can be the farewell tournament of many great players. Superstars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr. and Luka Modric will probably be seen playing in the World Cup for the last time. At the same time, this could be a big opportunity for young Turks like Lamin Yamal and Nico Paz to shine. Another interesting thing is that the World Cup matches are being held in America on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Shakira’s magic in the historic Aztec Stadium
There will be a spectacular opening ceremony one and a half hours before the start of the match. The main attraction of this ceremony will be the famous Colombian singer Shakira. Shakira will also present the official song of the World Cup on this occasion. The opening match is taking place at Mexico’s historic Azteca Stadium, where football greats Pele and Maradona have lifted the World Cup trophy. With this, the Azteca Stadium will become the stadium that has hosted the opening match of the World Cup the most number of times.
Mexico-South Africa: Talking about statistics, this is the fifth match between the two teams. In the previous matches, Mexico has won 2 matches and South Africa has won 1 match, while one match ended in a draw.