Mario Martinez Greets Open Fan Zone as Holiday Starts — World Cup Ceremony 2026

Mexico City turned Thursday into an official holiday and kept the fan zone open for world cup ceremony 2026 ahead of the Mexico v South Africa opener. For fans in the capital, that meant streets around the square stayed active even as some stadium seats were out of reach.

Mario Martinez in Mexico City

Mario Martinez from Tijuana walked into the fan zone with his girlfriend after worrying the event might be cancelled. “Thank God it all worked out.”

The holiday covered Thursday, and authorities kept the fan zone open that day. Tents lined the streets for multiple blocks around the square, giving the buildup a public face outside the stadium while the match against South Africa approached.

Stadium Prices in Mexico City

Ticket costs shaped the other side of the picture. Some fans said they paid $3,000 or more for seats at the opening match, and Mario said he and his girlfriend chose the fan zone because stadium tickets were too expensive.

Jonathan Cordoba described a long queue to enter the stadium and added, “Fifa is only interested in profit,” before breaking into, “It’s the passion!” Fifa defended its pricing by saying the cost was on a par with other major sporting events.

Friday Morning Return

The live buildup was set to return on Friday morning, with the holiday and open fan zone leaving Mexico City’s opening-day crowd split between the street scene and the ticketed match. Sunday brings another World Cup item on the calendar as Turkey face Australia in Vancouver at 5am UK time, but the immediate focus in Mexico City stays on who could get in, who could not, and who chose the fan zone instead.