Mexico beat 10-man South Africa as 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway

Mexico kicked off the 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over South Africa in the tournament opener at the iconic Estadio Azteca on Thursday.

The co-host nation secured all three points in front of a packed home crowd as the biggest World Cup in history officially got underway. The 2026 edition features 48 teams and is being jointly hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada.

Julian Quinones opened the scoring for Mexico in the first half to give the hosts an early advantage. South Africa's task became even more difficult after midfielder Sphephelo Sithole was shown a red card, making him the first player to be sent off at the 2026 World Cup.

Veteran striker Raul Jimenez later added Mexico's second goal to seal the victory and ensure a winning start for Javier Aguirre's side. The result placed Mexico at the top of Group A.

The match marked a repeat of the 2010 World Cup opener between the same two nations, which ended in a 1-1 draw in Johannesburg. 

It was the first time in FIFA World Cup history that an opening fixture had been repeated from a previous tournament opener.

Mexico entered the match as favourites and enjoyed the backing of more than 80,000 supporters at Estadio Azteca. The victory also extended the nation's impressive record in World Cup opening matches.

The tournament began with a colourful opening ceremony featuring performances from international music stars before the action shifted to the pitch. 

Mexico will now look to build momentum in the remaining Group A fixtures as they seek a place in the knockout stages.

South Africa, meanwhile, will be hoping to recover from the defeat and keep their qualification hopes alive in their upcoming group-stage matches. The African side is making its first World Cup appearance since hosting the tournament in 2010.