The biggest, longest, mostest World Cup in history kicks off Thursday, with Mexico facing South Africa in an Azteca opener, the start to a mountain of clashes that’s going to keep a lot of us from getting anything done over the next six weeks.

We start here on Friday, with the United States taking on Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in L.A. Canada begins earlier in the day, against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto. All three of us are sharing host duties.

That’s just one of the superlatives at work here. The 23rd World Cup offers unprecedented combatants (48 teams), games (104), stadiums (16), ticket prices (as high as $11.5 million on the secondary market — seriously, although we think it might be a joke) — parking ($300 tops) and transport ($98) fees, and searing heat/humidity (thank god for Atlanta’s, Dallas’ and Houston’s retractable roofs) through much of the tournament.

It’s somewhere between the most insane, incredible sporting proposition ever encountered and an toxically overblown commercial mess that’ll forever overshadow whatever happens on the field. Choose your spot along that spectrum.

The expected result? One of the eight countries that has won a World Cup will do so again. Spain or France, England or Argentina — all are reasonable options — and if there’s going to be a breakthrough, isn’t Portugal likeliest?

How do we get there? Game by game.

GROUP A

Mexico comes in as a favorite here, most of that about playing at home — a lot of that about how high Mexico City and Guadalajara sit — but El Tri can play, too. Javier Aguirre, who won group titles as a player in 1986 and head coach in 2002, is a pragmatist, his teams are tough to play against, and they can strike quickly, with 34-year-old Raul Jimenez the chief finisher.

The showdown with South Korea, probably the most talented side here, will be in Guadalajara, alas — Azteca is a couple thousand feet higher — and they’ll be challenged by the Koreans’ pace and attacking prowess. Head-to-head, ugh! is now first tiebreaker, but this group could come down to who fares best against big, direct, set-piece wizards Czechia and the organized, overmatched Bafana Bafana.

Standings:
1. South Korea 7 points (8-4), 2. Mexico 7 points (6-2), 3. Czechia 3 points (5-5), 4. South Africa 0 points (1-9)

Scores:
June 11/Mexico City: Mexico 3, South Africa 0
June 11/Guadalajara: South Korea 3, Czechia 2
June 18/Atlanta: Czechia 2, South Africa 0
June 18/Guadalajara: Mexico 1, South Korea 1
June 24/Mexico City: Mexico 2, Czechia 1
June 24: Monterrey: South Korea 4, South Africa 1

SUBSCRIBE TO KEEP READING

Start for $0 & enjoy free unlimited access for 30 days.

  • Daily TV listings for U.S. and global soccer.
  • Exclusive interviews with players and coaches.
  • Expert analysis of top soccer headlines.
  • Cancel anytime.

Already have an account? Sign in here.

CHECK OUT MORE STORIES

Not ready to subscribe? Sign up here for our free newsletter.

Already have an account? Sign in here.