The Mexico national team defeated South Africa 2-0 in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The tournament's first match took place at the famous Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The match at the arena, hosting World Cup matches for the third time, was officiated by Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio.
The game started with a quick goal. Mexican forward Julián Quiñones opened the scoring in the 9th minute, becoming the author of the tournament's first goal.
In the second half, the situation on the field worsened for South Africa. In the 49th minute, midfielder Yaya Sithole received a straight red card for a rough tackle, leaving his team with one player less.
The Mexicans made good use of the numerical advantage. In the 67th minute, experienced forward Raúl Jiménez made it 2-0, virtually securing his team's victory.
In the 84th minute, after a VAR review, South African forward Themba Zwane was sent off for striking an opponent in the face. Thus, the Africans were forced to play with nine players for the remainder of the match.
Interestingly, in the second minute of stoppage time, Mexican defender César Montes also received a red card. As a result, a total of three red cards were shown by the referee in the tournament's opening match.
Thus, the Mexico national team began their Group A campaign with a convincing victory, taking the lead with 3 points. South Africa, meanwhile, remain without a point after the first round.
In another match of the group, the national teams of South Korea and the Czech Republic will face each other. That game will kick off at 07:00 Tashkent time on June 18.
