By Kede Aihie
The 2026 World Cup kicked off with drama, discipline issues, and a Mexican victory. Co-hosts Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 Thursday in the tournament opener at Estadio Azteca, but the scoreline tells only half the story. Three red cards turned a historic night into a battle of survival at the home of Mexican football.
Julián Quiñones punished a sloppy back pass from Bafana Bafana keeper Ronwen Williams and pounced in the 9th minute to give El Tri the lead. Raul Jiménez doubled it in the 67th minute with a composed finish to put the game beyond South Africa.
South Africa’s night unraveled after that. Y. Sithole was sent off 5 minutes into the second half for a second yellow, and Themba Zwane followed in the 84th with a straight red. Mexico weren’t perfect either. César Montes saw red in 90+2’ for a late challenge, meaning both sides finished with 10 men.
The discipline stats were staggering. Three red cards in one game compared to four red cards issued across the entire Qatar 2022 tournament. Quiñones’ opener was also the earliest goal in a World Cup opener since 2014, and the 2-0 result marked Mexico’s first win in a World Cup opener since 1994.
Mexico start their home campaign with 3 points and momentum, despite the late sending off. South Africa head to their next group game with key players suspended and a mountain to climb if they want to reach the knockout rounds
Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy shared the stage with Shakira at the 2026 World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico City.
The pair kicked off the tournament with a high-energy performance at Estadio Azteca ahead of Mexico vs South Africa. Colombian icon Shakira performed “Let’s Go”, the official World Cup song, alongside Burna Boy to a packed stadium.
