2026 World Cup: Mexico beat 9-man South Africa in opening game

One of the co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, Mexico opened the tournament with a dramatic 2-0 win over South Africa on Wednesday night.

The match was a repeat of the opening game of the 2010 edition, which ended 1-1.

However, this time around, the Mexicans took control of the match from the blast of the referee’s whistle.

And they were rewarded with the first goal within 10 minutes of play.

Julián Quiñones opened the scoring in the 9th minute, and Raúl Jiménez doubled the lead in the 67th minute.

The goals secured the victory for the co-hosts against a South African side that finished with nine men after two red cards.

Mexico also saw Cesar Montes sent off in stoppage them, but took all three points.

2026 World Cup: Mexico beat 9-man South Africa in opening game