Mexico began their home campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a dramatic 2-0 victory over South Africa in a chaotic Group A opener that produced three red cards at the iconic Estadio Azteca.
Goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez handed the co-hosts all three points in front of a packed crowd of 80,824 spectators, while disciplinary drama dominated the second half of the tournament curtain-raiser.
The opening ceremony featured a colourful cultural display with performances from Shakira before football finally took centre stage in Mexico City.
Mexico made the perfect start when Quiñones fired home after just nine minutes following a mistake in midfield by South Africa. The striker nearly doubled the advantage before halftime, but his effort crashed against the post.
South Africa’s hopes of a comeback suffered a major blow five minutes into the second half when midfielder Yaya Sithole was sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Mexico took full advantage of the numerical superiority in the 67th minute as veteran striker Jiménez powered in a header from Roberto Alvarado’s cross to score his first-ever World Cup goal.
The emotional moment capped another remarkable chapter in the career of the 35-year-old forward, who battled back from the life-threatening skull fracture he suffered while playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. in 2020.
Tempers later flared as South Africa were reduced to nine men after substitute Themba Zwane received a straight red card for striking Alvarado during an altercation.
Mexico also finished the match with 10 players after defender César Montes was shown a late red card for a reckless foul in stoppage time.
Another major talking point from the match was the appearance of 17-year-old Gilberto Mora, who became one of the youngest players ever to feature at a FIFA World Cup, second only to Brazilian legend Pelé.
The victory gives Mexico an ideal start in Group A as the co-hosts look to better their previous best World Cup performances, having reached the quarter-finals in both 1970 and 1986 when they also hosted the tournament.
