Mexico national football team kicked off the 2026 FIFA World Cup in style after defeating South Africa national football team 2-0 in the opening match of the tournament at the iconic Azteca Stadium on Thursday night.
The victory marked an exciting start for Mexico as the country co-hosts the biggest World Cup in history alongside the United States and Canada. Playing in front of a packed crowd of more than 80,000 supporters, the Mexican side delivered an energetic performance that reignited hopes of a deep tournament run after years of disappointment on football’s biggest stage.
Mexico entered the match carrying pressure from supporters who still remembered the team’s poor campaign at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where El Tri failed to progress beyond the group stage. However, the home side responded positively, embracing the atmosphere and controlling large parts of the match against a determined South African team.
The breakthrough came early in the ninth minute when forward Julián Quiñones found the back of the net to send the home crowd into celebration. The Colombian-born striker, who recently enjoyed an impressive season in Saudi Arabia, made an immediate impact in his World Cup debut for Mexico.
Mexico continued to create chances throughout the first half and looked dangerous going forward. Coach Javier Aguirre later admitted that his side could have easily entered halftime with a much bigger lead because of their dominance.
Veteran striker Raúl Jiménez secured the victory in the 66th minute with a powerful header that doubled Mexico’s advantage. The goal was particularly emotional for Jiménez, who has battled back from a life-threatening head injury suffered in 2020 while playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Premier League.
Jiménez now moves level with former striker Jared Borgetti as the second-highest goal scorer in Mexico national team history. He remains six goals behind legendary forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernández.
The match also became one of the most dramatic World Cup opening games in recent history due to multiple disciplinary incidents. South African players Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane both received red cards, forcing their team to finish the game with only nine men on the field.
Mexico defender César Montes was later shown a red card during injury time, making it the first World Cup opening match ever to feature three red cards. The game also recorded the highest number of red cards in a World Cup match since Portugal faced the Netherlands in 2006.
Despite the loss, South Africa coach Hugo Broos praised his players’ effort and acknowledged the challenge of competing against a strong Mexican side in front of a passionate home crowd. He admitted his team must improve quickly before their next group match.
Mexico now leads Group A with three points and will face South Korea in Guadalajara next week, while South Africa prepares to take on the Czech Republic in Atlanta.
The strong opening performance has renewed optimism among Mexican supporters, who hope the team can finally break its long-standing round-of-16 barrier and possibly repeat the success achieved when hosting previous World Cups in 1970 and 1986.
