The 2026 World Cup will experience a historic moment this Saturday with the dispute of the 1,000th match in the history of the World Cups. The match between Japan and Tunisia, at the Monterrey Stadium, will mark a new milestone for the most important soccer tournament.
The figure reflects the growth that the World Cup has had since its creation and coincides with the first edition that has the participation of 48 teams. “Being able to participate in the 1,000th FIFA World Cup match is really symbolic,” said Tunisian captain Ellyes Skhiri.
To this historic match, Japan arrives with better feelings after drawing 2-2 against the Netherlands in its debut, while Tunisia needs to react after the 5-1 defeat suffered against Sweden. A new fall would leave the Africans in a very difficult situation to advance to the round of 32.
The meeting is also an example of the philosophy of expansion that FIFA has promoted under the presidency of Gianni Infantino, taking football to new frontiers and facilitating the access of teams from all continents to the World Cup party. That it is precisely an Asian team and an African team that are the protagonists of this historical milestone confirms the direction that the most popular sport in the world has taken in recent decades since that first edition held in Uruguay in 1930.
Follow the minute by minute of this historic meeting live on PrensaLibre.com here: