Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in chaotic World Cup opener marked by three red cards
By Luckybets Media Team
Co-hosts Mexico began their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over South Africa in a dramatic and historic Group A opener at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Thursday.
The match, which officially launched the expanded 48-team tournament, was heavily overshadowed by disciplinary controversy as a total of three red cards were shown – two to South Africa and one to Mexico – making it the most red cards ever recorded in a World Cup opening match.
Mexico made a dream start in front of a packed home crowd of over 80,000 fans, taking the lead in the 9th minute when Julián Quiñones finished calmly through the legs of South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
The early goal set the tone for a dominant performance from the hosts, who controlled possession and dictated the tempo throughout large spells of the first half. South Africa, meanwhile, struggled to settle and found it difficult to break Mexico’s defensive structure.
South Africa’s task became even more difficult early in the second half when midfielder Sphephelo Sithole was shown a straight red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity on the edge of the box.
Despite being reduced to ten men, South Africa attempted to stay in the game, but Mexico doubled their lead in the 65th minute when experienced striker Raúl Jiménez rose highest to head home from close range, securing his side’s advantage.
The match continued to produce drama when South Africa suffered another setback as Themba Zwane was sent off after a VAR check for striking an opponent, reducing them to nine men.
In stoppage time, Mexico also had a player sent off when defender César Montes received a red card, bringing the total dismissals to three in a single match.
Despite the chaos, Mexico remained in control and comfortably saw out the game to secure all three points in their opening fixture.
The result gives Mexico a strong start to the tournament as they go top of Group A, while South Africa will now need to regroup quickly ahead of their next match.
South Africa will face Czechia in their next group game, while Mexico will take on South Korea in their second fixture.
The match will be remembered not only for Mexico’s victory, but also for the extraordinary disciplinary record set on the opening day of the World Cup.
