Latin America Sports Daily for Friday, June 12, 2026

01

Jiménez scores in tears, Shakira opens the show — the World Cup is properly here

World Cup

Before the game started, Shakira and J Balvin performed at the opening ceremony at Estadio Azteca, two Colombian artists opening a tournament that has been building toward this moment for four years.

Then Julián Quiñones scored in the ninth minute, the first goal of the 2026 World Cup, and the largest football stadium in the world roared in a way it last did at the 1986 final.

Estadio Azteca became the first ground in history to host matches at three separate men’s World Cups: 1970, 1986, and now 2026.

The real moment of the evening came after half-time when Raúl Jiménez scored Mexico’s second.

The 35-year-old striker, who fractured his skull in a collision with David Luiz during a Premier League game in 2020 and spent months wondering whether he would ever play football again, collapsed to his knees and cried.

It was his first goal at a World Cup, on home soil, in what may well be his last chance to play in one.

The match itself was chaotic: three red cards were shown, two to South Africa and one to Mexico’s Cesar Montes, meaning El Tri finished with ten men and the Bafana Bafana with nine.

South Africa, in their first World Cup since 2010, could not convert their moments despite the numerical equalization, and Mexico held on comfortably.

South Korea completed the opening day with a 2-1 comeback win over Czechia in Guadalajara: Lee Kang-in equalised before substitute Oh’s late winner gave Asia’s strongest side three points from the off.

02

Paraguay’s World Cup night is here — sixteen years of waiting for this kick-off

World Cup

Paraguay’s first World Cup game since 2010 kicks off tonight at 9pm ET at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, against the United States.

They earned this. Under Gustavo Alfaro’s coaching, Paraguay lost just one of their final 12 CONMEBOL qualifiers and kept seven clean sheets, beating Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay along the way.

Alfaro’s plan is clear: two disciplined banks of four, physical pressing, let the USA have the ball in positions where it hurts least, and hit on the counter through Almirón and Ramón Sosa.

Julio Enciso, the 22-year-old Strasbourg forward whose injury had been the week’s anxiety, was spotted training with the ball on Thursday and may feature from the bench.

Alfaro was specific about the nature of the problem: “He suffered a double injury: first to his side and then to his lower back, which affected his quadriceps.”

The predicted starting lineup: Fernández; Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, Alderete, Alonso; Cubas, Diego Gómez; Almirón, Bobadilla, Sosa; Sanabria.

Enciso, if he plays, comes on as the attacking wildcard; the one player whose directness and technical quality can break a defensive wall.

The USA conceded just 14 goals in their qualifying campaign and will be organised, physical, and loud.

The last time Paraguay and the USA met at a World Cup was 1930; Bert Patenaude scored the first hat-trick in World Cup history in a 3-0 American win.

The stakes now are different: for Paraguay, a point tonight would be the biggest result in their football for sixteen years.

03

Brazil play Morocco tomorrow — and Neymar’s scan happens today

Brazil WC

Brazil held their final closed-door session at Columbia Park on Thursday evening, the last training before Saturday’s Group C opener against Morocco at MetLife Stadium at 6pm ET.

The lineup Ancelotti has been building toward all week: Alisson; Danilo, Gabriel Magalhães, Marquinhos, Guilherme Arana; Bruno Guimarães, Casemiro; Raphinha, Lucas Paquetá, Vinicius Júnior; Endrick.

Danilo at right-back is the only forced change from what Ancelotti wanted; Wesley’s thigh injury has made that decision for him.

Neymar’s final MRI is today, June 12, the day the CBF flagged weeks ago as the checkpoint.

Whatever the scan shows, it will not change Saturday’s team selection; the squad has been prepared and Ancelotti announced his approach clearly enough through the past two weeks.

The scan’s result matters for June 19 against Haiti: if it shows sufficient progress, Neymar enters that game as a genuine possibility from the bench.

Morocco, who lost 1-0 to Norway last week on a late Ødegaard goal before rebounding well in training, are 15 minutes from Brazil’s hotel and know their opponents as well as any team in this tournament.

Noussair Mazraoui spoke about the match this week with a confidence that felt deliberate.

It will be interesting to see what Brazil make of it.

04

The other four — Ecuador tomorrow, Argentina Monday, a week to remember

World Cup

Ecuador — Sunday June 14, 7pm ET, Philadelphia

vs Ivory Coast at Lincoln Financial Field. Beccacece’s squad arrived in Philadelphia in good spirits, with Caicedo and Pacho fit and rested; 19 games unbeaten going in.

Uruguay — Sunday June 15, 6pm ET, Miami

vs Saudi Arabia at Hard Rock Stadium, Sunday June 15, Miami. Bielsa’s final session was described as their best of the preparation; Darwin Núñez looked sharp and the Spain game on matchday three is the real test.

Argentina — Monday June 16, 9pm ET, Kansas City

vs Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium. Messi is fit, scored against Iceland, and broke a 69-year-old scoring record; Scaloni has run a quiet, professional camp and the defending champions are ready.

Colombia — Tuesday June 17, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

vs Uzbekistan. Néstor Lorenzo’s side drew 0-0 with Jordan in their final warm-up and travel to Mexico City in settled condition. Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich) leads the attack; this is the most comfortable opening fixture of any South American side.

05

Game 5 in San Antonio tonight — Knicks one win from ending 53 years of hurt

NBA

The Knicks lead the Finals 3-1 after Wednesday’s extraordinary comeback from 29 points down; OG Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds left was the image of a postseason full of moments.

Game 5 is tonight at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio at 8:30pm ET on ABC.

No team in NBA history has ever won a Finals after going down 3-1.

For San Antonio, Wembanyama’s 29 points and the furious first-half performance that had the Spurs leading by 29 proved that this team is better than the series score suggests, but results are what matter.

For New York, the city has not won a championship since 1973 and the Madison Square Garden crowd produced one of the great nights in Finals history on Wednesday.

Tonight’s game is in San Antonio, which is a different proposition entirely.

Result in tomorrow’s edition, which will also carry the full Brazil vs Morocco match report.

06

Frequently asked questions

FAQ

What happened in the World Cup opening game?

Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11 in the 2026 World Cup opener, with goals from Julián Quiñones (9th minute, the first goal of the tournament) and Raúl Jiménez in the second half.

Jiménez, 35, fractured his skull in a 2020 Premier League collision and spent months uncertain whether his career was finished; this was his first World Cup goal, on home soil, and he dropped to his knees. Three red cards left Mexico with ten players and South Africa with nine by the end.

Is Julio Enciso playing for Paraguay against the USA tonight?

He is not expected to start. Enciso sustained a double injury during Paraguay’s June 5 friendly against Nicaragua: first to his side, then to his lower back, which affected his quadriceps, and coach Gustavo Alfaro confirmed the severity of the problem.

However, Enciso was spotted training with the ball on Thursday and could feature from the bench; Alfaro’s predicted XI has Almirón, Bobadilla, and Sosa behind Sanabria. Kick-off at 9pm ET, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood; under Alfaro, Paraguay lost just once in their final 12 CONMEBOL qualifiers.

When does Brazil play and what is Neymar’s status?

Brazil play Morocco on Saturday June 13 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, at 6pm ET. Neymar’s final pre-tournament MRI scan is today, June 12.

Neymar will not play Morocco; today’s scan determines the Haiti game on June 19. Brazil’s expected XI: Alisson; Danilo, Gabriel Magalhães, Marquinhos, Arana; Guimarães, Casemiro; Raphinha, Paquetá, Vinicius Júnior; Endrick.