The 2026 World Cup gets underway on Thursday night, with co-host nations taking centre stage across a packed opening schedule of fixtures.
Mexico are heavy favourites as they welcome South Africa to the Azteca, with the atmosphere expected to be electric inside the iconic stadium.
McBookie make the co-hosts 5/12 favourites for the opener, and that price looks fair given Mexico are unbeaten in their last eight matches.
Mexico thrashed Serbia 5-1 in their most recent friendly, giving supporters plenty of reason to feel confident heading into tournament football.
Combining the home win with over 1.5 goals and over 5.5 corners pays a decent 21/20 in a McBookie bet builder, representing solid value.
Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio loves to flash a card, averaging five per game, making the bookings market well worth exploring for this fixture.
Over 4.5 bookings pays 13/10 at McBookie, while Bet365 offer a tempting 2/1 on South Africa taking a one-card handicap advantage in that market.
The other Group A match between South Korea and Czechia takes place in the early hours, and backing the half-time draw pays 21/20 at McBookie.
Wolves star Ladislav Krejci is a tempting 5/4 to commit over 1.5 fouls, which looks like the better value option compared to his card price of 21/10.
Canada open Group B against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Jesse Marsch having the most talented group of Canadian players at his disposal for this tournament.
Bosnia are no mugs, having beaten Italy in the play-offs, but they are listed as 15/4 outsiders at McBookie, who price Canada at 5/6 favourites.
Jonathan David is the main attacking threat for Canada and looks decent value for anytime scorer at 7/5 with McBookie.
Celtic’s Alistair Johnston always gets stuck in, and the Canadian right-back appeals for over 1.5 fouls at 9/5, making him an interesting speculative pick.
The late fixture sees the USA take on Paraguay, with McBookie pricing the hosts at 9/10 favourites and Paraguay available at as big as 16/5.
The Paraguayans typically focus on defensive structure, meaning this contest could be a tight and frustrating watch for neutral supporters.
Combining under 2.5 goals and both teams to score no pays 9/5 at McBookie, which suits the likely shape of a defensively cautious Paraguay side.
Sunderland defender Omar Alderete was sent off when Paraguay lost 2-1 to America in a friendly back in November, and he is a tempting 13/5 to be carded again.
The half-time draw in the USA versus Paraguay game looks appealing at 9/8 with McBookie, given how tightly contested this match is expected to be.
With host nations under pressure to deliver strong performances and fill stadiums, the opening round of fixtures promises drama, tension, and plenty of betting interest.
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