President Claudia Sheinbaum reaffirmed on 16 July that the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on 11 June 2026, saying “Va a ser aquí en el Azteca” during her regular press briefing. The confirmation maintains the original schedule agreed with FIFA for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada. Sheinbaum’s statement comes after unverified social-media claims and local commentary suggested Canada had asked FIFA to relocate the inaugural fixture because of recent protests in Mexico City. Gabriela Cuevas, Mexico’s liaison to the governing body, said FIFA has received “no request whatsoever” to modify the match calendar or the list of host cities, calling the reports “speculation and false.” City officials added that renovation work at the 87,000-seat Estadio Azteca is on track and that security, transport and crowd-management plans will be detailed in the coming months. Organizers across the three host nations continue to face wider scrutiny, including environmental concerns tied to stadium construction in Mexico and wildfire-smoke contingency planning for Canadian venues.