Hosts Mexico kicked off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a solid 2-0 win against South Africa. Goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez secured the victory in a dramatic match that saw three red cards.
Mexico City: Hosts Mexico got their World Cup 2026 campaign off to a flying start with a brilliant win. The Mexican team defeated South Africa 2-0 in the tournament’s opening match. Mexico took the lead in the 9th minute through Julián Quiñones and later sealed the victory with a goal from Raúl Jiménez. Quiñones scored the first goal after taking advantage of a mistake by the South African defence. A defender failed to control a pass from the goalkeeper, and Mexico immediately punished them.
Later, in the 67th minute, Raúl Jiménez found the back of the net, increasing Mexico’s lead. Right from the start, the Mexican attack was like a wave crashing onto the South African goal. In the 42nd minute, South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams made two spectacular saves in quick succession, giving his team a moment of relief.
It Rained Red Cards
South Africa often resorted to rough tactics to stop the Mexican players. This backfired in the second half when Siphephelo Sithole received a red card in the 49th minute. The referee sent him off for a foul on Mexico’s Bryan Gutiérrez. In the 84th minute, the referee had to pull out another red card, this time for South Africa’s Themba Zwane. Just as the game was about to end, a Mexican player also committed a needless foul. While South Africa was trying its best to score a consolation goal, César Montes made a dangerous tackle on a South African player. Despite protests from the Mexican players, the referee stood by his decision and showed a red card.
Mexico played in a 4-1-2-3 formation. On the other hand, South Africa lined up their team in a 5-3-2 formation. Mexico surprisingly benched their veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa for the first match. Raúl Rangel got the chance to start, thanks to his great performance in recent games. Mexico has a history of losing their opening World Cup matches. Before this, they had played in seven opening games, losing five and drawing two. This time, the team finally managed to break that curse on home soil.