Mexico Defeats South Africa 2-0 in FIFA World Cup 2026 Opener, Sets Red Card Record
Kathmandu. In the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026, host Mexico has made a happy start by defeating South Africa 2-0. The match, held at the renowned Azteca Stadium in Mexico City according to Nepali time on Friday morning, has been recorded in football history not just for the win but also for a new record of 'red cards'.
For the first time in the history of a World Cup opening match, three red cards were shown in a single game. Two players from South Africa and one from Mexico had to leave the field after receiving red cards. In the beginning of the second half, South African midfielder Sphephelo Yaya Sithole received a direct red card for fouling Mexico's Bryan Gutierres when he had a clear chance to score. Later in the game, the Video Assistant Referee confirmed an assault by South Africa's Themba Zwane on Roberto Alvarado's face, leading to his expulsion. This is the first time since 2006 that two players from the same team have received red cards in a single World Cup match.
Referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio did not stop the card shower there. In injury time, he showed a third red card to Mexico's César Montes for an aggressive foul. With this, three red cards have been shown in the first match of the tournament, which is only one less than the total of four red cards in the previous Qatar World Cup.
In the process of registering a historic victory, Julián Quiñones scored in the 9th minute for Mexico, giving them an early lead. This goal by Quiñones, the top scorer in the Saudi League, is the fastest goal in a World Cup opening match since 2006. In the 67th minute of the second half, veteran striker Raúl Jiménez secured Mexico's victory with a header. This is his 46th international goal, with which he shares the second position in the list of top scorers for Mexico alongside Jared Borgetti.
Mexico has achieved victory in an opening match of the World Cup for the first time in its history. In the previous seven opening matches, Mexico had recorded 5 losses and 2 draws. Similarly, Mexico created a new history by bringing 17-year-old young player Gilberto Mora onto the field. At 17 years and 240 days old, Mora became the youngest player to play in a World Cup for Mexico and the sixth youngest player in World Cup history.
With this victory, Mexico has earned 3 points in Group 'A'.
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