The opening match of the 2026 World Cup begins with a new system for performing the national anthem

The players of the Mexican and South African national teams performed their countries’ national anthems at the opening of the FIFA World Cup matches in the United States, Mexico and Canada, using a new system applied for the first time in the World Cup.

In the past, the national anthems of the two countries were limited to the main players in both teams, but the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) decided to change that system in the new version of the World Cup.

Instead, all 26 players in both teams gathered alongside the coach, standing in the middle of the field facing each other, and each team performing the national anthem in the presence of all the players.

The two teams will meet at the opening of the World Cup for the second time, after having previously opened the 2010 edition in South Africa, where the match ended in a 1-1 draw.