The Mexican national team sent the 80,824 fans at the legendary Azteca Stadium into a frenzy after defeating South Africa 2-0 in the thrilling opening match of the 2026 World Cup.
With goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez, El Tri have had a dream start to the tournament. While Mexico’s win will steal the headlines, many point will remember this match as one marked by rough play and the expulsion of three players.
An early goal and a header for the history books
The co-hosts didn’t keep their fans waiting. Just nine minutes in, Julián Quiñones opened the scoring, sending the stands into a frenzy. The 29-year-old forward, who arrives as the top scorer in this season’s Saudi Pro League, was one of six Mexican players making their World Cup debut in the Tricolor jersey.
The decisive blow came in the second half. In the 66th minute, Raúl Jiménez rose to connect with a precise header and made it 2-0. This goal was not just another one in the striker’s career:
It was his first goal in his third World Cup performance, and his 46th with the national team.
He tied legend Jared Borgetti for second place on Mexico’s all-time scoring list, trailing leader Javier “Chicharito” Hernández by just six goals.
A great win shadowed by red cards
Despite Mexico’s control of the scoreboard, the match became extremely physical, forcing the referees to make drastic decisions.
The “Bafana Bafana” squad finished the match with only nine men on the field following red cards to Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane. For the home side, discipline also became an issue late in the game: central defender and captain César Montes was shown a red card during stoppage time, marking a significant loss for Mexico heading into the next match.
The Outlook in Group A
With this result, Mexico shakes off the fear of Group Stage elimination as seen in Qatar 2022. El Tri earned its first three points and now take control of Group A.
El Tri’s next challenge: The Mexican squad will travel to Guadalajara to face South Korea next Thursday.
South Africa’s path: The African side will look to get back on track the same day when they face the Czech Republic in Atlanta.
