Mexico City, Mexico: Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 opener Thursday at Estadio Azteca. Three players were sent off in a tense Group A match.
Julian Quiñones scored the tournament’s first goal in the ninth minute. Meanwhile, Raul Jimenez added Mexico’s second with a 67th-minute header, according to Sky Sports.
South Africa finished with nine men after Sphephelo Sithole was sent off in the 49th minute. Themba Zwane was dismissed in the 84th. Mexico defender Cesar Montes also received a red card in stoppage time.
The result gave co-host Mexico its first win in a World Cup opening match after seven previous failures. ESPN reported that the victory ended Mexico’s long wait for an opening-game win.
The match opened the first 48-team World Cup. Also, the first edition was staged across three countries: Mexico, the United States and Canada. Estadio Azteca also became the first stadium to host three opening matches of the World Cup.
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Mexico’s win put the hosts in early control of Group A, which also includes South Korea and the Czech Republic. The result repeated the 2010 tournament opener pairing, when South Africa and Mexico drew 1-1 in Johannesburg.
Mexico midfielder Erik Lira said the moment would stay with him for life. “The only thing I felt was that everything it took to get here had been worth it,” he said.
