Mexico launched the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a composed and ultimately comfortable 2-0 victory over South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 11 June, delivering the perfect opening result in front of a capacity crowd of 80,824 as the largest World Cup in history got underway across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez scored the goals for El Tri, with South Africa’s challenge unravelling progressively across the afternoon as they finished the match reduced to nine men following two red cards, while Mexico also had a player dismissed in injury time.
Mexico controlled the match from the first whistle, dictating possession and pressing South Africa into a deep, compact defensive shape from which the visitors struggled to build any sustained threat. Jimenez forced an early low save from Ronwen Williams, and the breakthrough came in the ninth minute through Quinones.
Williams played a short pass into trouble under pressure and Quinones reacted first, broke through on goal and finished cleanly past the goalkeeper. It was a deserved lead that reflected the opening exchanges entirely.
Mexico continued to press and came close to extending their advantage before the break. Jimenez went close again, Quinones struck the post, and South Africa managed only a single first-half header from Evidence Makgopa that never seriously troubled the home goalkeeper.
South Africa’s afternoon deteriorated further early in the second half when a last-man challenge on Gilberto Mora earned a red card, reducing them to ten men and handing Mexico even greater territorial dominance. The hosts took their time converting that pressure into a second goal, but it arrived in the 67th minute.
Roberto Alvarado delivered a precise cross from the right and Jimenez met it at the back post with a clinical close-range header, his 46th international goal and his first across three World Cup appearances. The strike placed him alongside Jared Borgetti in second place on Mexico’s all-time scoring list, six goals behind the national record holder Javier Hernandez.
The final stages descended into disorder. South Africa’s Sphephelo Sithole received a second red card, and Themba Zwane was also dismissed following a separate flashpoint, leaving the visitors to see out the match with nine men. Mexico defender Cesar Montes was then shown a red card in injury time to add to the disciplinary chaos, though by that point the result was long settled.
The victory gave Mexico three points in Group A at the start of a tournament they are co-hosting for the third time, the Azteca having previously staged both the 1970 and 1986 editions. Quinones, a 29-year-old forward born in Colombia who was the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League this season, was one of six Mexico starters making their World Cup debut. Mexico suffered a first-round exit at Qatar 2022 and will be determined to progress further on home soil.
El Tri face South Korea next Thursday in Guadalajara, while South Africa play the Czech Republic the same day in Atlanta.
