Raúl Jiménez seals Mexico’s win against nine-man South Africa in World Cup opener

Was that it, then? Was Sphephelo Sithole being caught in possession nine minutes into the opening game, Julián Quiñones running on to lash the ball through Ronwen Williams’s legs, was that when the football took over, the moment when concerns over the aggression of the major co-host faded away and the world got on with celebrating the great festival of humanity the World Cup ought to be?

It seems unlikely. Donald Trump’s war with Iran goes on, as do the outrages of his immigration police. But it’s not just that. Gianni Infantino has opted to run this tournament, uniquely in the modern age, without a local organising committee. That may not explain the shambolic organisation at the Azteca – the chaotic traffic, the non-existent signage, the absence of WiFi, the general lack of order – but it does make it harder to fix.

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