World Cup Games Today – Thursday 11 June Schedule, Kick-Off Times and How to Watch

World Cup Games Today – Full Schedule

World Cup games today feature the opening Group A action as the 2026 tournament gets underway in North America. Two matches are scheduled for UK viewers between Thursday evening and early Friday morning, with Mexico hosting South Africa in the tournament's curtain-raiser before South Korea face Czech Republic in the early hours.

Here's everything you need to know about today's World Cup fixtures, including kick-off times, venues and how to watch in the UK.

Today's World Cup Schedule (UK Times)

Match	Group	Kick-Off (UK)	Venue
Mexico vs South Africa	Group A	8pm, Thu 11 June	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
South Korea vs Czech Republic	Group A	3am, Fri 12 June	Estadio Akron, Zapopan

Mexico vs South Africa – 8pm Thursday

The 2026 World Cup begins with a fascinating Group A encounter as hosts Mexico welcome South Africa to the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Kick-off: 8pm UK time, Thursday 11 June
Venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026, Group A

Mexico carry the weight of home expectation into this tournament opener. The Azteca – one of football's most atmospheric venues – will be packed for what promises to be an emotional occasion. El Tri have historically performed well on home soil and will be desperate to set the tone with a positive result.

South Africa, meanwhile, return to the World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010. Bafana Bafana qualified through an impressive African campaign and will look to disrupt proceedings as underdogs.

The tactical contrast is clear: Mexico will look to dominate possession and control tempo in front of their home support, while South Africa are likely to sit compact and pose a threat on the counter-attack.

For a detailed breakdown of this fixture, including betting tips and predictions, see our full Mexico vs South Africa preview.

South Korea vs Czech Republic – 3am Friday

The second Group A match takes place in the early hours of Friday morning UK time as South Korea face Czech Republic in Zapopan.

Kick-off: 3am UK time, Friday 12 June
Venue: Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico
Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026, Group A

This is a crucial fixture for both nations' hopes of progressing from the group. South Korea bring a blend of Premier League experience and K-League quality. Czech Republic will be appearing at their first World Cup since 2006 and carry genuine ambitions of reaching the knockout rounds.

The early kick-off time for UK viewers makes this a challenging watch, but those who stay up or set early alarms will be treated to an intriguing tactical battle between two evenly-matched sides.

How to Watch World Cup Games Today

UK viewers can follow all the World Cup action across BBC and ITV, who share live coverage of the tournament. Both broadcasters offer free-to-air coverage with matches available on TV and via their respective streaming platforms – BBC iPlayer and ITVX.

Specific broadcast details for each match are typically confirmed closer to kick-off. Check the BBC Sport and ITV Sport websites for the latest scheduling information.

Radio coverage: BBC Radio 5 Live provides live commentary on selected matches throughout the tournament.

Group A Overview

Group A features hosts Mexico alongside South Africa, South Korea and Czech Republic. The expanded 48-team format means the top two from each group automatically progress to the knockout rounds, with the best third-placed teams also advancing.

Mexico are the group favourites and carry significant home advantage across multiple venues. The battle for second place looks set to be a tight contest between South Korea and Czech Republic, with South Africa the outsiders.

For our full Group A betting preview and predictions, see our World Cup 2026 Group A guide.

World Cup 2026 Betting Tips

Looking for expert World Cup predictions? Our tipsters have analysed every group and provided their best bets for the opening round of fixtures.

Read Jake Osgathorpe's World Cup Tips and Predictions for his selections across the first round of group matches.

Key Information Summary

• Mexico vs South Africa: 8pm Thursday – Tournament opener at the Azteca

• South Korea vs Czech Republic: 3am Friday – Early morning kick-off for UK viewers

• TV: BBC and ITV share World Cup coverage

• Streaming: BBC iPlayer and ITVX

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