World Cup 2026 kicks off in Mexico City as the most expensive tournament ever for fans

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will begin on 11 June with an opening ceremony at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, followed by the first match of the tournament between Mexico and South Africa at 21:00 local time. The competition, which runs until 19 July, will feature 48 national teams playing 104 matches across 16 host cities in three countries.

Ticket prices reach record levels

FIFA's official pricing has made this the most expensive World Cup in history for spectators. For the quarter-finals, Premium 1 category tickets start at 1,200 euros per person. Semi-final tickets in the same category rise to 2,700 euros. The most expensive non-VIP tickets for the final, to be held at the New York New Jersey Stadium, are priced at 7,455 euros per person.

VIP hospitality packages for the final are listed at 30,000 euros per person (35,000 US dollars). FIFA states that these packages include access to the stadium with the best lateral visibility, refined gastronomy highlighting local flavours, and a premium beverage service available before the match, at half-time, and afterwards.

Broadcast changes in Spain

In Spain, RTVE will broadcast the opening ceremony and the Mexico-South Africa match on La 1, with coverage beginning at 19:30. The public broadcaster has significantly altered its regular Thursday schedule to accommodate the event. Programmes including 'Malas lenguas' and 'Aquí la Tierra' will be dropped for the evening, while 'Telediario 2' will air in a shortened edition during half-time. 'La Revuelta', presented by David Broncano, will be moved to Friday nights for the next three weeks, replaced by the new programme 'El perro andaluz' hosted by Manu Sánchez.

Conseguir deporte de este nivel en abierto está en el límite de lo imposible. Se maneja muchísimo dinero y TVE compite con un presupuesto ajustado.

Juan Carlos Rivero, the RTVE journalist who will lead the coverage, noted that the public broadcaster has not aired a World Cup since 1998 before returning in 2022. He described the achievement of securing free-to-air rights as being on the edge of the impossible. The Union of Commercial Televisions (UTECA), which includes Mediaset and Atresmedia, has announced a lawsuit against RTVE for alleged unfair competition over the unlimited advertising commercialisation of the World Cup.

Spain's group stage schedule

Spain, considered among the tournament favourites, will play three group-stage matches. The first is against Cape Verde on 15 June at 18:00 in Atlanta. The second, also in Atlanta at the same time, is against Saudi Arabia on 21 June. The third match pits Spain against Uruguay on 26 June at 02:00 in Guadalajara.

Streaming options

DAZN will also broadcast all 104 matches of the tournament. Viewers with an active subscription to any of the platform's plans can access every match live and on demand for a one-time payment of 19.99 euros. The platform is promoting the offer as a way to watch stars including Lamine Yamal, Mbappé, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Vinicius, and Keane.