{"id":1062,"date":"2026-06-11T17:16:41","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T17:16:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=1062"},"modified":"2026-06-11T17:16:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T17:16:41","slug":"from-the-sports-desk-the-world-cup-is-finally-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=1062","title":{"rendered":"From The Sports Desk: The World Cup is finally here"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><em>Forty-eight teams. Three host countries. Sixteen stadiums. And 39 days long. The 23rd edition of the men\u2019s World Cup is finally here, with the opening ceremony taking place at Mexico City\u2019s Azteca Stadium today ahead of co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa. When <\/em><em><strong>Shakira<\/strong><\/em><em> and <\/em><em><strong>Burna Boy <\/strong><\/em><em>perform the official anthem \u201cDai Dai\u201d at the ceremony, FIFA will no doubt be hoping that after a bumpy run-up to the competition, the world can finally start talking soccer. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=1060\">Republicans who pushed Epstein files release see political careers upended by Trump<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>World Cup Match Preview<\/h2>\n<p>Mexico \u2014  one of the three co-hosts with America and Canada \u2014 will bid to end its World Cup opening-day curse when it takes on South Africa in the tournament\u2019s first game today at the recently renovated Azteca Stadium. It\u2019s a repeat of the first game of the 2010 competition, in Johannesburg, which ended 1-1.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>That was a relative success for a nation that has repeatedly failed to win its opening game. Coach <strong>Javier Aguirre<\/strong> told a news conference Wednesday: \u201cWe must break that trend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>El Tri enters the tournament buoyed by a run of warmup victories, and hoping veteran forward <strong>Ra\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez<\/strong> can help fire them to glory on home soil. Fans will also be pinning their hopes on midfielder <strong>Gilberto Mora<\/strong>, at 17 this World Cup\u2019s youngest player and a potential breakout star. <\/p>\n<p>Mexico has only made it to the last eight twice, both times when it hosted the tournament, in 1970 and 1986. Four years ago in Qatar, it didn\u2019t make it out of the group stage. <\/p>\n<p>Aguirre will be up against a familiar foe in the opposition dugout: South Africa coach <strong>Hugo Broos <\/strong>was in the Belgium team that lost 2-1 against an El Tri side featuring Aguirre in 1986. Broos has led South Africa to its first World Cup in 16 years. <\/p>\n<p>The second fixture of the day sees the two other Group A sides, South Korea and Czechia, go head-to-head. South Korean star <strong>Son Heung-min<\/strong>, widely considered the best Asian player in recent times, comes into his fourth World Cup after a poor season with Los Angeles FC. South Korea should be wary of Czechia\u2019s threat from set plays. In qualifying, the two-time runners-up (as Czechoslovakia, in 1934 and 1962) scored more set-piece goals \u2014  seven of them headers \u2014  than any other European team.<\/p>\n<p><em>Men in Blazers is North America\u2019s largest independent, soccer-obsessed media company. Led by founder, CEO and host Roger Bennett, we believe soccer is more than just a game; it\u2019s a lens to understand the world, feel human emotion, experience a sense of global connection and make memories together.<\/em><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>The World Cup is finally here! Three and a half years after Lionel Messi and Argentina took home the trophy in Qatar, El Tri and South Africa\u2019s Bafana Bafana will kick things off today at the legendary Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, followed by South Korea and Czechia.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=1056\">Hazmat crews respond to \u2018hazardous materials incident\u2019 at the Pentagon<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Before the games start, we\u2019ll be treated to an opening ceremony performance from Shakira and Burna Boy, 32 years after Diana Ross committed one of the most legendary penalty misses in World Cup history at Chicago\u2019s Soldier Field. We can only hope that Mexico\u2019s musical spectacle will be half as memorable. <\/p>\n<p>For more World Cup coverage sent straight to your inbox every morning, subscribe to the Men in Blazers newsletter. We\u2019ll be covering every match, every goal and every joyous moment that soccer\u2019s biggest spectacle is sure to bring. <\/p>\n<p>Additionally, Men in Blazers is going from host city to host city for Match Day Live! We\u2019re taking the stage with celebrity guests in front of thousands of fans directly before some of the biggest matches this summer. Find your city here. Next stop: Los Angeles, where our very own Roger Bennett and Rory Smith will be joined by actor Rob Mac, Larry Nance Jr. of the NBA\u2019s Cleveland Cavs and former USMNT player, Kyle Beckerman. Join us there tomorrow.<\/p>\n<h2>Player profile <\/h2>\n<p><em>Leading up to the 2026 World Cup, we\u2019re counting down 26 players to watch. Today\u2019s entry is Argentina\u2019s <\/em><em><strong>Lionel Messi.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Messi is arguably the best player to ever step on a soccer field. He\u2019s won the Ballon d\u2019Or award a record eight times, claimed 10 LaLiga championships, four Champions League titles and scored 672 goals for Barcelona \u2014 the most for a single club ever. Internationally, he was instrumental in leading Argentina to the 2022 World Cup victory and paces the nation with 116 career goals scored. In that final against France, Messi scored the opening goal on a penalty kick and later added another in extra time to propel Argentina to victory. <\/p>\n<p>Simply put, the only thing that could stop Messi at the 2026 World Cup is father time. At 38, he\u2019s still a high-level player but not exactly what he was in his prime. <\/p>\n<p>Argentina, ranked No. 3 in the world by FIFA, needs Messi\u2019s elite skills to remain among the best in the world. He fits up top with <strong>Julian Alvarez<\/strong> and should work well with midfielders <strong>Enzo Fernandez<\/strong> and <strong>Alexis Mac Allister<\/strong>. Argentina is looking to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups. Because of Messi\u2019s playmaking ability and incredible goal-scoring prowess, he could help them do just that.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=1054\">Severe thunderstorms and humid weather rip through the Northeast and Midwest<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>What We\u2019re Watching<\/h2>\n<p>The World Cup! <\/p>\n<p>Come hang with us as we live blog today\u2019s opening matches.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>All times are Eastern:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>3 p.m.: <\/strong>Mexico vs. South Africa (Group A): June 11 at 3 p.m. ET on Fox, Telemundo, Peacock<\/li>\n<li><strong>10 p.m.: <\/strong>South Korea vs. Czechia (Group A): June 11 at 10 p.m. ET on FS1, Telemundo, Peacock<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 23rd edition of the men\u2019s World Cup is finally here, with the opening ceremony taking place at Mexico City\u2019s Azteca Stadium today ahead of co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1061,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-cup"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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