Hello and good morning to you wild Aussies awake at this time in the morning and g’day if you’re logging on from anywhere else around the world.
Football fans rejoice! It is finally here!
After months of political uncertainty, days of visa worries and a small fortune’s worth of ticket resales, the FIFA World Cup 2026 has finally arrived.
My name is Simon Smale and this is ABC Sport’s home of football for the next six weeks, as we bring you live blog coverage of all 104 matches from the tournament opener at the Azteca, all the way to New York/New Jersey on July 20.
I’ll be joined by our best and brightest over the next six weeks as we bring you all the action from across North America both on and off the pitch.
We have a crack team on the ground across the Pacific, with David Mark and Tom Wildie shadowing the Socceroos, and Amanda Shalala in Mexico City as we speak getting ready for today’s opening game of the tournament.
It is a pleasure to be here with you and welcome to you all.
