Mexico secured a 2-0 victory in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup against South Africa. The host nation took the lead early in the 9th minute. Julián Quinones capitalized on a mistake by South Africa’s Sithole, scoring from 15 meters, beating goalkeeper Williams.
Despite this early lead, Mexico struggled for much of the match to assert full control, allowing several chances for additional goals to go unused.
In the second half, South Africa was further hampered when Yaya Sithole received a red card in the 49th minute for fouling Gutierrez just outside the penalty area. However, Mexico initially failed to convert their numerical superiority into further goals, even though they largely controlled the flow of play.
Despite being up 1-0, the pressure on Mexico increased noticeably at the Estadio Azteca. The enthusiastic fans demanded more and responded with silence. South Africa, even while shorthanded, managed to create some opportunities, but these finishes were not strong enough to seriously threaten Mexican goalkeeper Raul Rangel.
It took until the 67th minute for the atmosphere to lighten up, as Mexico’s Alvarado delivered a cross from the right side, which Raúl Jiménez headed into the net. South Africa went down even further, with Themba Zwane being sent off in the 84th minute for violent conduct, leaving the visitors with only nine men. Referee Wilton Sampaio had already dealt out one red card, and during stoppage time, Mexico’s César Montes, the captain, also received a red card for a hard tackle just outside the penalty area.
This match will go down in history, as three red cards have never occurred in a World Cup opener before. Overall, however, the game was characterized by numerous mistakes from both sides, and both teams were not showing their best form. While Mexico will be satisfied with the win, they will need to improve in upcoming fixtures to maintain their success.
The other two teams in World Cup Group A, South Korea and Czech Republic, will face off on Friday morning at 4 a.m. Central European Time.
