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⚽ World Cup Eve: Shakira Rehearses at Azteca, Spain's 30-Game Streak & What the Internet is Saying
One day out. Shakira spotted backstage at Estadio Azteca. Spain close warmups 30 games unbeaten. Messi's hamstring cleared. Declan Rice gets the vice-captain armband. Ronaldo plays his final pre-tournament match tonight. Here's everything you need for Opening Day.
June 10, 2026 · 8:13 AM
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⚽ World Cup Eve: Shakira Rehearses, Spain Streak Hits 30, Messi Cleared
Tomorrow, football changes forever. The first-ever 48-team World Cup kicks off at Estadio Azteca, and tonight the world is holding its breath. Spain just went 30 games unbeaten. Messi's hamstring scare is behind him. Shakira was spotted backstage in Mexico City this morning. And Declan Rice has an armband upgrade. This is what June 10 looks like.
Opening day fixtures: what's on Thursday
Group A gets the whole thing started — and it could not be a better draw for theatre.
Mexico vs South Africa — 3PM ET, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City. The home side carry the weight of a nation at the ground that has hosted three World Cup openers (1970, 1986, now 2026 — no stadium in history has done this). Hugo Broos's Bafana Bafana made it back after a 16-year absence, overcoming a three-point deduction during qualification. They will not be here to make up numbers. 1
Korea Republic vs Czechia — 10PM ET, Estadio Akron, Guadalajara. Son Heung-min leads a South Korean side that went unbeaten in their final seven qualifiers. Czechia return to the World Cup for the first time in 20 years after a dramatic penalty-shootout playoff win over Denmark.
The opening ceremony at Azteca starts 90 minutes before kickoff — at 11:30AM CST. Shakira and Burna Boy will perform "Dai Dai," the official tournament song, for the first time live. Andrea Bocelli is confirmed for the Mexico City countdown concert that night. 2
The big pre-tournament storylines
Spain: 30 games unbeaten. On June 8, La Roja beat Peru 3-1 in their final warmup — at Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla — extending their extraordinary competitive and friendly unbeaten run to 30 matches. They open against Uzbekistan on June 15. De la Fuente's side are listed at +420 to win the whole thing. 3
Lamine Yamal: back on grass. Spain's 18-year-old winger suffered a hamstring injury in April and his club season ended early. As of this week, he is reported back in training and progressing toward the June 15 opener. If he plays, the conversation around Spain immediately shifts from "can they?" to "by how much." 4
Messi: cleared and ready. The hamstring scare that gripped Argentina fans in late May turned out to be muscle fatigue, not a tear. Inter Miami's medical team confirmed this weeks ago, and as of this week, Argentina coach Scaloni says Messi is available. He will almost certainly start Group J's opener vs Algeria on June 26 — making him the first player in history to appear at six different World Cups. 5
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Politics at the door. DW's analysis piece published today is direct: "FIFA wanted a World Cup without politics — it got Trump." High ticket prices, US entry restrictions (the Somali referee incident from June 8 remains unresolved), and the ongoing US-Iran tensions have cast a shadow before a ball is kicked. FIFA's position: host governments control visas, not FIFA. 4
Stars to watch, stats to know
Declan Rice: vice-captain. Tuchel named the Arsenal midfielder as England's vice-captain on June 8 — a decision that generated over 37,000 views in the first few hours on now.arsenal's post alone. Rice won the Premier League with Arsenal in 2025/26 and is widely seen as Kane's heir as captain. England open Group L against Croatia on June 17. 6
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Ronaldo: final warmup tonight. Portugal play Nigeria in Houston tonight — June 10 — as their last match before the tournament begins. Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Costa are all in camp. Portugal open Group K against DR Congo on June 17. The Polymarket odds give Portugal 8% to win the whole thing — which many punters flag as undervalued given the squad's depth.
The odds picture (Polymarket, as of early June):
| Team | Win probability |
|---|---|
| France | 17% |
| Spain | 16.7% |
| England | 10.9% |
| Argentina | 9% |
| Portugal | 8% |
| Brazil | ~7% |
Source: 7
One analyst's take: Argentina at 9% — reigning champions who beat Brazil 4-1 without Messi — trading below England (who have not won in 60 years) makes no sense.
What the internet said today
The pre-tournament Twitter energy on June 10 is loud. A few posts that cut through:
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The Declan Rice vice-captain news was the single biggest England football story of the day, trending across Arsenal accounts and England fans alike.
The Shakira-Azteca rehearsal post on Facebook reached tens of thousands of shares within 14 hours: she was spotted backstage at Estadio Azteca running through "Dai Dai." For a ceremony that billions will watch, the performance is the first test of whether the 48-team era opens with the spectacle it deserves.
And the countdown concert in LA tonight — June 10 — features Nora Fatehi and runs parallel to Andrea Bocelli's appearance at Azteca. Three host cities, three opening events, one massive party.
Tomorrow: first whistle at 3PM ET. The 48-team World Cup begins.
References
- 1FIFA World Cup 2026 fixtures
- 2Shakira and Burna Boy to perform at 2026 World Cup opening ceremony
- 3Spain extend unbeaten streak to 30 with final World Cup warmup win
- 4FIFA World Cup 2026 squad news and injury updates
- 5Messi injury update — NOT serious, expects to play
- 6Declan Rice named England vice-captain for 2026 World Cup
- 7Polymarket World Cup 2026 market analysis
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