Mexico opened their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over South Africa in the tournament’s opening match on Thursday night.
The hosts took the lead in the 9th minute through Julian Quinones, who capitalised on a defensive error before firing past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to make it 1-0.
Mexico doubled their advantage in the 67th minute when Raul Jimenez connected with a cross from Roberto Alvarado and guided a header into the bottom corner.
South Africa’s hopes of a comeback suffered a major setback in the 49th minute after Yaya Sithole received a straight red card for a dangerous challenge.
The visitors were reduced to nine men in the 84th minute when VAR review resulted in Themba Zwane also being shown a red card.
Despite enjoying a numerical advantage, Mexico finished the game with ten men after Cesar Montes was sent off deep into stoppage time for a reckless tackle.
Goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez were enough to hand Mexico all three points and a winning start to their World Cup journey.