Mexico opened the World Cup with a 2–0 win over South Africa at the Azteca.
The 2026 World Cup officially got underway last night, with hosts Mexico opening the tournament against South Africa at the Estadio Azteca. In the opening match, South Africa produced a poor and disjointed performance, showing little cohesion in possession and struggling to establish any meaningful control of the ball.
Mexico, by contrast, looked composed and in control from the outset, taking a 2–0 lead and managing the game with confidence. The key turning point of the first half came while the score was still 1–0, when Yaya Sithole was shown a straight red card, leaving South Africa reduced to ten men and significantly altering the course of the match.
At the iconic Estadio Azteca, hosts Mexico began their World Cup campaign with a controlled and authoritative 2–0 victory over South Africa, in a match defined by game management, disciplinary moments, and a clear difference in structure and quality.
Early control from the hosts, the Mexican night!
Mexico immediately imposed possession and territorial dominance from kick-off, pushing South Africa into a deep defensive block.
The visitors struggled to build out from the back or establish any consistent attacking rhythm, allowing Mexico to dictate the tempo throughout the opening stages.
A red card that shifted the match, and Mexico became the only option for winning this football match!
The turning point of the first half came with a straight red card shown to Yaya Sithole, after which South Africa lost all structural balance.
From that moment on, the match was effectively under Mexico’s control.
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They were better anyway, no doubt.
South Africa left without answers!
Catastrophic performance, the disasters one!
This result leaves South Africa under serious pressure, with questions raised about its ability to compete against the Czech Republic and South Korea.
Reduced to ten men and already trailing, South Africa were unable to re-establish any tactical coherence or mount a meaningful response.
Controlled finish and a statement to the group
Mexico are strong and will be very hard to eliminate in the group stage, while the host. Realistically, they will be in knock out stage. They will hardly be eliminated for real.
Mexico managed the closing stages comfortably, controlling possession and tempo to secure a professional opening win. With fixtures against the Czech Republic and South Korea still to come, the group remains open—but Mexico have already sent a clear early message.
Match report Mexico– South Africa
Mexico coach Aguirre had just begun making substitutions when the game was effectively settled by the standout player of the night and former Premier League star Raúl Jiménez, who scored his first goal of the tournament and Mexico’s second of the match.
The atmosphere continued to build as Mexico grew stronger and more dominant with every passing minute. South Africa offered no meaningful response, and their frustration eventually boiled over, resulting in another straight red card that left them completely depleted and unable to field a full, competitive side.
A 2–0 defeat, combined with the loss of key players, represents a major setback for South Africa. There is growing disappointment already, and with upcoming fixtures against the Czech Republic and South Korea, it is difficult to see where points will come from.
At this level, they appear to lack the required quality, both individually and collectively, to compete effectively in the tournament.
South Africa’s discipline issues and lack of control in key moments highlighted a side struggling to cope with the intensity of a World Cup stage.
Later in the match, there was also a third red card incident involving Montes, reviewed by VAR after a handball situation, with the officials ultimately confirming the decision.
A second red card late in the match further compounded a difficult evening for the African side, who finished the game heavily depleted.
Overall, it was a strong opening performance from Mexico. Jiménez stood out as the best player on the pitch and one of the standout performers of the tournament so far, while South Africa ended the match with just nine players on the field in a heavily depleted state.
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