"Having all players and referees face each other in the centre circle during the national anthems will create a moment of unity, pride and emotion that truly belongs to the teams and to everyone in the stadium," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said."The FIFA World Cup is about every player and every fan, and this new pre-match ceremony reflects that."But for some human rights advocates, the concept of unity sits at odds with the US' immigration crackdown The opening matches on Friday 12 June are: * Mexico v South Africa, 5am AEST * South Korea v Czechia, 12pm AESTYou can watch all 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ live, free and exclusive on SBS, SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.FIFA World Cup 2026™ at SBS On Demand: get match ready.For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.