Mexico Defeats South Africa in 2026 World Cup Opener, Tops Group A

The Mexican national team, hosting the tournament, recorded its first win at the 2026 World Cup by defeating South Africa in the opening match of Group A on Thursday in Mexico City.

Mexico, the United States, and Canada are hosting the 2026 World Cup from June 11 to July 19, featuring an expanded format with 48 teams participating for the first time in the tournament's history.

At the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Julián Quiñones scored the opening goal for the hosts very early in the match. He capitalized on a mistake by South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who passed incorrectly to his defense, allowing Quiñones to strike a powerful shot that found the net, putting Mexico ahead 1-0.

Quiñones, a player for Saudi club Al-Qadsiah who won the top scorer award in the Saudi Professional League last May, made history by scoring the first goal of the 2026 World Cup and the first goal in the tournament’s new 48-team format.

South Africa attempted to challenge Mexico’s defense with several efforts led by Mokoena Obiehi, but these attempts failed to equalize before the first half ended with Mexico leading 1-0.

At the start of the second half, South Africa’s hopes suffered a setback when defender Yaya Sithole was sent off in the 49th minute for fouling Mexican striker Raúl Jiménez, who was in a one-on-one situation.

Raúl Jiménez capitalized on the advantage by scoring Mexico’s second goal in the 67th minute with a header that beat the South African goalkeeper, extending the lead to 2-0.

South Africa lost another player when Thabiso Zwane received a red card in the 82nd minute, reducing the team to nine men for the remainder of the match.

The match appeared to be heading toward a 2-0 finish in favor of Mexico until Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio issued a direct red card to Mexican defender César Montes for a violent tackle and assault on a South African attacker.

The game between Mexico and South Africa set a record as the World Cup’s opening match with the most red cards issued, totaling three in this match.

Mexico currently leads Group A with three points, while South Africa remains without points. The group’s next match between the Czech Republic and South Korea is scheduled for early Friday.