Mexico opened its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a 2-0 win over South Africa in Group A at the Estadio Azteca. In front of a massive home crowd, the co-hosts got the result they needed, and honestly, the result they had to get.
Mexico came out with intensity and didn’t wait long to show it. Julián Quiñones grabbed the opener after South Africa switched off near their own box, and Mexico punished them immediately. It was exactly the kind of goal you don’t want to concede in a World Cup opener, a lapse in concentration turned into a moment that shifts the entire match.
South Africa tried to get back into it, but any realistic hope of that disappeared early in the second half when Sphephelo Sithole was sent off. Ten men, one goal down, at a World Cup. That’s a very bad place to be. The red card handed Mexico the space and time to simply manage the game rather than fight for it.
Raúl Jiménez made it 2-0 with a second-half header, and at that point the match was done. South Africa’s evening got worse when Themba Zwane was also dismissed late on, nine men, two goals down, nothing left to play for. César Montes picked up a red card for Mexico in stoppage time, but by then it was a footnote.
The bigger talking point before kick-off was Javier Aguirre’s team selection. Leaving Guillermo Ochoa on the bench raised eyebrows. Ochoa has been Mexico’s World Cup goalkeeper for so long that his absence felt almost unsettling. Captain Edson Álvarez also didn’t start, prompting fans to question the logic. The win makes those calls look smart in hindsight, though the real test of them comes in tougher matches.
For Mexico, this is a near-ideal opening. Three points at home, a clean sheet, goals from two different sources, and control for most of the 90 minutes. It’s not that the performance was flawless, that late red card was unnecessary, but home World Cup openers carry a particular kind of pressure, and Mexico handled it. That matters.
For South Africa, the discipline issue is the conversation that needs to happen before their next game. Two red cards in a single match isn’t just bad luck. It cost them any chance of getting something from the game and will now follow them into the group stage. Moments of effort were there, but the red cards made everything else irrelevant.
Mexico now sit in a strong position heading into their next Group A game against South Korea. South Africa, meanwhile, have very little time to feel sorry for themselves before Czechia comes around. Before Mexico’s next match, it’s worth checking out our full World Cup 2026 Team Guide: All 48 Nations Explained if you want a proper look at every team in the tournament.
Mexico got what it came for. Not pretty from start to finish, but winning your World Cup opener at home is the only thing that actually matters on day one.
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