Stephanie Gosk to answer World Cup questions live from Mexico City

Mexico City will be the center of the World Cup conversation on Thursday, when Stephanie Gosk answers viewer questions live at 12 p.m. ET ahead of Mexico’s opening match against South Africa. The matchup will launch the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Mexico City Stadium, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. ET, or 1 p.m. local time.

The timing matters because this is not a routine tournament opener. FIFA says the 2026 World Cup will be the largest in the event’s history, with 48 teams playing 104 matches across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States. That scale is driving the biggest unanswered questions around the tournament now: how security will be handled across three countries, how fans will move between host cities, how much the trip will cost, and whether each venue is ready for the surge in crowds.

Gosk’s live NBC News audience Q&A is designed to put those concerns front and center. Viewers will be able to submit questions about the tournament and the issues surrounding it, from the opening match in Mexico City to the broader demands of a competition that will stretch from one nation to another. The first Group A match, Mexico vs. South Africa, is scheduled for Thursday, June 11, 2026, according to FIFA’s official calendar.

The opening game will also shape how many Americans follow the tournament from home. Broadcast listings place U.S. coverage on Fox earlier in the day, and some listings say the match will stream free on Tubi. That combination makes the first game more accessible for viewers who will not travel to Mexico City, while also highlighting how much of the tournament’s reach will depend on television and streaming access.

What success looks like for the United States, Mexico and Canada is larger than one kickoff. It will mean that the opening match runs smoothly, that host cities can absorb the pressure of 104 games, and that the tournament’s scale does not overwhelm the people and places carrying it. The first whistle in Mexico City will offer the clearest early test of whether the first 48-team World Cup can deliver on its promise.