Mexico dramatically beat South Africa 2-0: 'Red card frenzy' on the opening day of the 2026 World Cup
Host nation Mexico secured all three points against South Africa in a dramatic opening match of Group A at the 2026 World Cup, featuring three direct red cards and spectacular goals at the Azteca Stadium.
Early this morning, the 2026 World Cup officially kicked off with a highly anticipated clash between host nation Mexico and South Africa in Group A. At the Azteca Stadium, Mexico's coach made good use of their home advantage to secure a 2-0 victory, despite the match ending in chaos with a total of three red cards shown.
The breathtaking pressure and Julian Quinones' historic goal.
Cheered on by tens of thousands of enthusiastic home fans, Mexico started the match with a powerful high-pressure style of play. The Central American team quickly pushed South Africa into a passive defensive position from the very first minutes. As early as the 5th minute, Raul Jimenez threatened the opponent's goal with a delicate one-touch finish, forcing goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to make a save.
However, the resilience of the South African defense did not last long before a personal error. In the 9th minute, following a careless pass from goalkeeper Williams to Sithole, Erik Lira pounced on the ball right outside the penalty area. Julian Quinones quickly seized the opportunity, firing a shot through the legs of the South African goalkeeper to open the scoring 1-0.
Notably, this was the first goal of the 2026 World Cup. Julian Quinones continued his devastating form after a brilliant season in the Saud Pro League with 33 goals, surpassing even big names like Cristiano Ronaldo and Ivan Toney.
The turning point: the red card and Raul Jimenez's impressive performance.
The second half began with an unbelievable scenario when the turning point occurred in the 49th minute. In an attempt to prevent Brian Gutierrez from scoring, South African midfielder Sphephelo Sithole committed a foul from behind. The referee did not hesitate to show Sithole a direct red card, sending him off.
With a numerical advantage, Mexico completely controlled the game. In the 67th minute, from a precise cross by Alvarado, veteran striker Raul Jimenez headed the ball into the net to make it 2-0. This goal at the age of 35 brought intense emotion to the striker in what could be his last World Cup.
A flurry of red cards in the final minutes of the match.
The intensity of the match did not diminish as South Africa lost control. In the 84th minute, Themba Zwane received a direct red card after a foul on Alvarado, confirmed by VAR technology. South Africa was left playing with only nine men on the field.
The drama didn't end there. In the 90+2 minute, the home team Mexico were reduced to 10 men when Cesar Montes received a red card for a foul just outside the penalty area. However, there was too little time left for South Africa to pull off an upset.
The 2-0 victory temporarily puts Mexico at the top of Group A, creating excellent momentum for their World Cup campaign on home soil. Meanwhile, South Africa will face a difficult personnel challenge in the next match as they will be without two key players due to suspensions.
