Hosts Mexico kicked off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in style with a convincing 2-0 victory over South Africa in the opening match of the tournament.
The historic clash, played in front of a packed crowd at the iconic Estadio Azteca, marked the first match of Group A in the expanded 48-team World Cup.
Mexico took control from the opening whistle and consistently put the South African defense under pressure.
Their early dominance paid off in the 9th minute, when forward Julián Quiñones found the back of the net to score the first goal of the tournament and hand the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Mexico carried that advantage into halftime and continued to dictate play after the break.
The second goal arrived when Roberto Alvarado delivered a superb assist that was clinically finished by veteran striker Raúl Jiménez, doubling Mexico’s lead and effectively sealing the victory.
The hosts comfortably saw out the remainder of the match to record their first win of the tournament and make a dream start in front of their home supporters.
🟥 Chaotic Finish Creates World Cup History
The match also produced a dramatic ending, with disciplinary issues taking center stage.
By full-time, Mexico had been reduced to 10 men, while South Africa finished with only 9 players on the field after a total of three red cards were shown.
It marked only the seventh World Cup match in history to feature three or more red cards and became the first-ever tournament opener to reach that milestone.
Mexico now sit at the top of Group A after the opening round and have sent an early message to the rest of the tournament with a confident and commanding performance.
