Mexico dreamed of a better opening of the 2026 World Cup. The tournament hosts defeated South Africa 2-0 at the legendary Estadio Azteca and showed from the first minutes that they intended to play an important role during the championship. However, the match will be remembered not only for the victory of “El Tri”, but also for three red cards and several very controversial moments.
Even before the first whistle, the atmosphere in Mexico City was special. More than 80,000 fans created a spectacular setting, and the stands were filled with characteristic sombreros prepared for the fans. The Mexicans came to the stadium with one goal – to see their team win.
The hosts set a high pace from the very beginning. The first warning was sent by Raul Jimenez, whose dangerous shot was saved by Ronwen Williams. The South African national team goalkeeper kept his team in the game for a long time, but just a few minutes later he had to pull the ball out of the net.
South Africa’s mistake opened the way to victory
The key moment of the first half came in the 9th minute. Sphephelo Sithole lost the ball in his own penalty area after aggressive Mexican pressing. The ball went to Julian Quinones, who took a shot and beat Williams. The South African goalkeeper could have done better because the ball slipped between his legs.
The goal only increased the home team’s advantage. The Mexicans regularly got through to their opponents’ goal and were close to scoring more goals. Quinones wasted the best opportunity again and hit the post. Williams saved his team from losing further goals several times, thanks to which the score remained open until the break.
South Africa had huge problems with taking action. African players made simple technical mistakes, and their offensive attempts most often ended in losses. Against the background of the rushing hosts, they looked like a team lost and overwhelmed by the importance of the match.
The red card changed everything
After the change of sides, the situation of the South African national team became even more difficult. In the 49th minute, Sithole fouled Gutierrez, who was in a clear position. The referee had no doubts and showed the player a red card.
Playing shorthandedly limited the possibilities of Hugo Broos’ team even more. Mexico did not push the pace as much as before, but patiently controlled the course of the match. Finally, the hosts achieved their goal for the second time.
In the 67th minute, Roberto Alvarado sent a precise cross, and Raul Jimenez found his way into the penalty area and increased the lead to 2-0 with a successful header.
Three red cards and a nervous ending
The end of the match brought even more emotions than the fight for the result itself. In the 84th minute, Themba Zwane punched his opponent in the face. The referee did not react immediately at first, but after a VAR analysis he decided to remove the South African player from the pitch.
The Africans finished the match with nine players, but this was not the end of the card events. In added time, Cesar Montes stopped his opponent, who was moving into an advantageous position. The referee decided that the Mexican defender deprived his opponent of a real chance to score a goal and also showed a red card.
A total of three red cards were shown during the opening match. Two were watched by South African players, and one by a representative of the hosts.
Mexico sent a signal to its rivals
The score 2-0 fully reflected the course of the match. The Mexicans dominated from the first minutes, created many more chances and controlled events on the pitch for most of the match. South Africa can say they are lucky that they did not lose higher.
The World Cup started perfectly for the hosts. The set of points, the great atmosphere at Estadio Azteca and the convincing play gave the fans reasons to be optimistic. The South African national team, in addition to the defeat, has to face additional problems, because two key players will be missing in the next matches, suspended after red cards.
Mexico – South Africa 2-0 (1-0)
Goals:
- 1:0 Julian Quinones (9′)
- 2:0 Raul Jimenez (67′)
Red cards:
- Sphefelo Sithole (49′, RPA)
- King Four (84′, RPA)
- Cesar Montes (90+2′, Mexico)
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Piala Dunia 2026
Piala Dunia FIFA 2026 akan menjadi edisi paling revolusioner dalam sejarah sepak bola dunia. Turnamen ini untuk pertama kalinya akan diselenggarakan di tiga negara sekaligus, yaitu Amerika Serikat, Kanada, dan Meksiko. Selain itu, jumlah peserta juga meningkat dari 32 menjadi 48 tim, membuka peluang lebih besar bagi negara-negara dari berbagai konfederasi untuk tampil di panggung global. Format baru ini akan menghadirkan lebih banyak pertandingan, atmosfer kompetisi yang lebih luas, serta jangkauan penonton yang semakin besar di seluruh dunia.
Dengan skala yang jauh lebih besar, FIFA menargetkan turnamen ini sebagai ajang yang tidak hanya kompetitif tetapi juga spektakuler dari sisi teknologi dan pengalaman penonton. Stadion-stadion modern di berbagai kota tuan rumah telah dipersiapkan untuk menghadirkan pertandingan berkelas dunia, didukung oleh inovasi seperti peningkatan sistem VAR dan pengalaman digital bagi fans. diprediksi akan menjadi tonggak baru dalam evolusi sepak bola internasional, memperkuat popularitas olahraga ini sekaligus menciptakan momen-momen bersejarah yang akan dikenang dalam waktu lama.
