The Guadalajara Reporter
Guadalajara's Largest English Newspaper
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has kicked off in spectacular fashion, with dominant victories for two of the three co-hosts and a hard-earned historic point for the third.
If there is anything that will rapidly accelerate interest in the 2026 World Cup, it is success by the host nations: Mexico, the United States and Canada.
The 2026 World Cup group stage features 48 teams divided into 12 groups. The co-hosts, England and Scotland were drawn into the following groups, each playing three round-robin matches to secure a spot in the Round of 32, which begins on June 28.
Sports fans: If World Cup soccer doesn’t enthuse you, but baseball really floats your boat, then this month will make you happy.
Guadalajara’s FIFA Fan Fest kicks off Thursday. June 11 in the downtown Plaza Liberación and the adjoining Plaza de Armas, and runs daily through July 19.
• Training in GDL - Colombia and South Korea are the only two nations that have decided to base themselves in Guadalajara for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The ticketing process for the 2026 World Cup has been widely described as a fiasco, enraging soccer fans who find the high prices and confusing purchasing system unacceptable.
But a strange new dynamic is emerging: even as official tickets vanish for marquee matches, secondary platforms are flooded with unsold inventory, and prices for some games are starting to crater.
• Stellar lineup – The opening ceremony on June 11, 11:30 a.m. will feature performances by Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla.
Amid the last-minute rush to complete infrastructure projects in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, citizens of this country are eager for the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across North America for the first time. The inaugural game of the 39-day event is in Mexico City on Thursday, June 11.