Co-hosts Mexico made a winning start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, defeating South Africa 2-0 in the tournament’s opening match before a crowd of 80,824 fans. Goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez secured victory for El Tri, who controlled much of the contest and capitalised on South Africa’s……
Co-hosts Mexico made a winning start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, defeating South Africa 2-0 in the tournament’s opening match before a crowd of 80,824 fans.
Goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez secured victory for El Tri, who controlled much of the contest and capitalised on South Africa’s disciplinary problems to begin their campaign on a positive note.
The hosts signalled their intentions early, dominating possession and pushing the visitors deep into their own half. Their bright start yielded results in the ninth minute when Quiñones seized on a defensive lapse and fired beyond goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to give Mexico the lead.
Buoyed by the early breakthrough, Mexico continued to threaten and created several openings before halftime. Jiménez tested the South African defence repeatedly, while Quiñones came close to doubling the advantage when his effort struck the outside of the post.
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Despite spending long periods under pressure, South Africa nearly restored parity before the interval, only for goalkeeper Raúl Rangel to produce an important save from Mbekezile Mbokazi.
Any hopes of a South African comeback suffered a major setback shortly after the restart when Yaya Sithole was shown a straight red card in the 49th minute following a dangerous challenge.
With a numerical advantage, Mexico tightened their grip on the match and eventually doubled their lead in the 67th minute. Roberto Alvarado floated a cross into the penalty area and Jiménez rose above the defence to power a header into the net.
The second goal effectively ended South Africa’s resistance and left the hosts in complete control as they looked to close out the contest.
The final minutes were marked by disciplinary incidents. South Africa were reduced to nine men after Themba Zwane was sent off following a VAR review in the 84th minute, while Mexico also finished with 10 players after defender César Montes received a red card deep into stoppage time.
Nevertheless, Javier Aguirre’s men comfortably managed the closing stages to secure all three points and make an encouraging start to their World Cup journey on home soil.
The victory places Mexico in a strong position early in the group stage, while South Africa will be seeking a response in their next fixture after a disappointing opening-night defeat.