Mexico Beats South Africa 2-0 in World Cup Opener
Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in the 2026 World Cup opening match on Thursday. The game was played at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
Julián Quiñones scored in the 9th minute. Raúl Jiménez added a second goal in the 66th minute.
It was his first World Cup goal across four tournaments. Three red cards were shown during the match.
Two went to South Africa and one to Mexico. Reports say this was the most red cards ever in a World Cup opening match.
The win ended Mexico's streak of seven opening-day World Cup losses. Palestinian Authority official Jibril Rajoub also attended the match.
Klear Note — The World Cup is soccer's biggest tournament, held every four years. Mexico had lost all seven of their opening matches in previous World Cups.
Key Terms 2
- red card A card shown to a player who must leave the game permanently.
- Jibril Rajoub A senior official from the Palestinian Authority who attended the match.