World Cup 2026 live: Mexico face protests before opener after Gianni Infantino’s shambolic press conference | OneFootball

The World Cup 2026 is upon us, with the opening match kicking off in Mexico City this evening – after Fifa president Gianni Infantino gave his pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday.

Four years ago, Infantino made infamous comments ahead of Qatar 2022, saying: “Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel [like] a migrant worker.” This time, he addressed the sorry saga of a Somali referee denied a visa to enter the US, with the Trump administration claiming Omar Artan was sent home because of links to “suspected members of terror organisations”.

The Fifa boss’s response to the problems proved bizarre, as Infantino urged everyone to “chill, relax”.

But while the US’s problems are well documented, Mexico are faced with their own issues ahead of their opener with South Africa, with thousands of protesters blocking the road to the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. After teachers staged presentations on Tuesday, families of the country’s 133,000 missing people took to the streets on the eve of the contest, with a leaflet reading: "The cup came back home. When will our loved ones?"

Meanwhile, England coasted to a 3-0 win over Costa Rica in their final World Cup warm-up game, after a storm delayed kick-off by an hour in Orlando. Once the game got under way, Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins netted for Thomas Tuchel’s side, while Bukayo Saka came off the bench despite injury fears.