Quinones and Jimenez strike as co-hosts down nine-man Bafana Bafana in opener; Group A resumes 15 June with South Africa vs Uruguay and Mexico vs Croatia
By: St. Ginth Haokip
Mexico City, June 12 2026
Mexico launched the 2026 FIFA World Cup in emphatic fashion on Thursday, beating a nine-man South Africa 2-0 at a packed Estadio Azteca to claim the first three points of Group A. The 48-team tournament, the largest World Cup in history, began with a vibrant opening ceremony featuring Shakira and Burna Boy before the co-hosts took the pitch. With 80,824 fans turning the Azteca into a wall of red, green, and white, the home side fed off the energy and never looked in doubt after an early breakthrough.
Julian Quinones wrote his name into World Cup history just nine minutes in, scoring the tournament’s opening goal with a low drive that slipped through the legs of South Africa captain Ronwen Williams. The strike followed a costly error from Sphephelo Sithole, who was dispossessed trying to play out from the back under heavy pressure. From that moment the Azteca erupted, and every Mexico pass drew chants of “Ole!” from the stands. South Africa coach Hugo Broos had warned about the hostile atmosphere, and his side struggled to settle as Mexico dictated tempo and territory in the opening half hour.
South Africa’s task became even harder four minutes into the second half when Sithole’s night went from bad to worse. The midfielder was shown a straight red card in the 49th minute for bringing down Brian Gutierrez as the last man, leaving Bafana Bafana to play with 10 men for most of the second period. Mexico exploited the advantage clinically. In the 67th minute a swift counter ended with Roberto Alvarado delivering a pinpoint cross to the back post, where veteran Raul Jimenez rose to head home and double the lead for the co-hosts.
Discipline unraveled further for South Africa late on. Themba Zwane was sent off in the 84th minute after a VAR review penalized him for raising an arm into Alvarado’s face, reducing Broos’s team to nine. Mexico nearly finished with 10 themselves when Cesar Montes received a red card for a reckless challenge on Khulisa Mudau at the edge of the box, but the result was already secure. South Africa rarely threatened and failed to register a meaningful chance as Mexico’s back line kept a clean sheet to start their campaign.
With the victory, Mexico takes early control of Group A and gives its supporters belief that a deep run is possible on home soil. The Azteca, now the only stadium to host matches in three different World Cups, delivered the spectacle FIFA hoped for on opening night. For South Africa, the heavy defeat and two suspensions mean Broos must regroup quickly before their second group match. The 2026 World Cup has begun, and Mexico made sure the first headline belonged to them.
Elsewhere on opening day, early reports from FIFA’s technical study group praised the high pressing and quick transitions shown by Mexico, noting that the co-hosts completed 612 passes at 89% accuracy while winning 60% of duels. Analysts highlighted Quinones’s movement and Jimenez’s aerial threat as key tactical takeaways. In contrast, South Africa’s build-from-the-back approach was flagged as risky under Azteca’s pressure, with both red cards stemming from turnovers in their own half. The opening match also set a new broadcast record in Mexico, with 41.3 million domestic viewers tuning in, according to Televisa data released overnight.
Group A action continues on 15 June when South Africa faces Uruguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, a match Broos’s side must win without suspended pair Sithole and Zwane. Mexico returns to the pitch on 16 June against Croatia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, where a second win would all but seal qualification to the Round of 32. Ticket sales for both fixtures have already crossed 95% capacity, with FIFA confirming additional fan zones in both host cities to handle demand.
Looking ahead, co-hosts United States and Canada kick off their campaigns on 12 June, with the USMNT facing Senegal in New York and Canada taking on Morocco in Toronto. Tournament organizers reported smooth operations across transport and security on day one, despite the record scale of 104 matches across 16 cities. Mexico coach Jaime Lozano told reporters post-match that the team will “stay grounded and recover fast,” adding that the focus shifts immediately to Croatia’s midfield strength and set-piece threat.
