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Mexico opened the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a convincing 2-0 victory over South Africa in a fiery Group A clash that produced three red cards and two well-taken goals before a packed crowd at the Mexico City Stadium on Thursday.
The hosts made the perfect start when Julián Quiñones struck in the ninth minute from Érik Lira’s assist.
The early goal settled Mexico, who controlled possession and dictated the pace of the match for much of the evening.
South Africa’s hopes suffered a major setback four minutes into the second half when Yaya Sithole was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge.
Reduced to 10 men, Bafana Bafana struggled to cope with Mexico’s attacking pressure.
Mexico capitalised on their numerical advantage in the 67th minute as Raúl Jiménez finished from Roberto Alvarado’s pass to double the lead.
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The goal marked the striker’s first-ever World Cup goal and sparked celebrations among the home supporters.
The match became increasingly heated in the closing stages. South Africa were reduced to nine men in the 84th minute when Themba Zwane received a straight red card following a VAR review for an off-the-ball incident involving Alvarado.
Mexico also finished the match with 10 men after defender César Montes was sent off in stoppage time for denying a goalscoring opportunity during a South African counterattack.
The dismissal capped a chaotic ending to the tournament’s opening fixture.
The victory gives Mexico an early advantage in Group A and provides a strong foundation for their World Cup campaign, while South Africa face an uphill battle to revive their qualification hopes after a difficult opening-night defeat.
