Another red card for South Africa, lose 2-0 to Mexico in 2026 World Cup opener

The 2026 FIFA World Cup got underway with Mexico securing a 2-0 victory over South Africa before a crowd of 80,000 at the Azteca Stadium.

Julian Quininois gave the hosts an early lead in the ninth minute after capitalising on a defensive mistake, while Raul Jimenez added a second goal to seal the win.

Another red card

The match was overshadowed by a record disciplinary crackdown, with three red cards issued, the most ever in a World Cup opening match. South Africa finished the game with nine players, including Themba Zwane, who was sent off following an incident involving an opponent during a scoring opportunity.

FIFA’s strict enforcement of the Denying an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO) rule drew significant attention, with the opening match alone producing nearly as many red cards as the entire 2022 World Cup.

In the day’s second fixture, South Korea came from behind to defeat Czechia 2-1. Czechia opened the scoring from a long throw-in, but second-half goals from Hwang In-beom and Hong Hyun-seok completed the comeback.

South Korea dominated much of the match but struggled to convert chances early, with captain Son Heung-min accounting for five of the team’s eight attempts on goal.

Away from the pitch, controversy emerged over tournament broadcasting. Viewers criticised the use of full-screen advertisements during hydration breaks, particularly after a broadcaster failed to return from a commercial break in time for the restart of play during the Mexico-South Africa match.

The use of on-screen explanations of basic football rules also sparked debate, with critics arguing that the approach reflected an effort to cater to newer audiences.

The tournament continues with Canada facing Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, while the United States takes on Paraguay in Los Angeles.