The 48-team World Cup will kick off with a match between South Africa and host partner Mexico at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, amid high ticket prices, visa disputes and political sensitivities.TAG_OPEN_p_17 The six-week tournament is being co-organized by the United States, Mexico and Canada. The final will be played in New Jersey on July 19.

According to FIFA, this edition is the biggest World Cup in history.TAG_OPEN_p_16 The tournament is expected to generate about $13 billion in revenue. But there has been intense criticism that ticket prices have been too high before the tournament even begins, with reports that tough immigration policies in the United States have caused visa problems for players, referees and fans.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino rejected the criticism in his opening speech in Mexico City.TAG_OPEN_p_15 According to him, ticket prices have been varied, with tickets being offered as low as $60 for some games, while some premium tickets have gone up to $30,000. With the average ticket price below $500, he said it was “one of the most accessible sporting events in the United States.”

Commenting on the visa dispute, Infantino called the incident of Somali referee Omar Orton “unfortunate”.TAG_OPEN_p_14 Due to security concerns, he was denied entry into the United States and will not participate in the tournament, FIFA said in a statement. The US State Department accused him of having “links with individuals associated with terrorist organisations”.

Infantino made it clear that FIFA does not have full control over all visa and security issues, adding that immediate outrage over these incidents is not always the solution.TAG_OPEN_p_13

He also commented on questions about Iran’s participation and said that it was an achievement for FIFA that Iran was able to play in the World Cup despite various political tensions.TAG_OPEN_p_12 He said it was possible to ensure participation in the tournament despite ongoing military tensions between Iran and the United States.

The FIFA chief’s relationship with US President Donald Trump has also been in the news.TAG_OPEN_p_11 Infantino said it would be difficult to host the World Cup in the United States without Trump’s support. Trump said he plans to participate in some of the tournament’s games.

South Africa will face Mexico in the opening match of the opening match at the Estadio Azteca, which can seat 85,00 TAG_OPEN_p_10 0 spectators. South Africa coach Hugo Bruce has urged his players to focus on the game, taking the loud noise from the home fans as a challenge.

Mexico has played the opening match of the World Cup seven times so far but has not won it.TAG_OPEN_p_9 Coach Javier Aguirre said the goal was to break that statistic this time around.

The second match of the opening day will be played between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara. Spain, France and England are among the favourites for the tournament, while defending champions Argentina will be aiming to defend the title under Lionel Messi.