World Cup 2026: Mexico beats South Africa in opener featuring three red cards

The turning point came in the 9th minute due to a mistake by South Africa's defense. Centre-back Siyabonga Sithole mishandled a pass from goalkeeper Williams just outside the box, allowing Erik Lira to close in and steal the ball. The ball then fell to Julian Quinones, who plays in the Saudi Pro League, and he fired decisively to open the scoring at 1-0.

During the remainder of the first half, Mexico controlled the game and created several more chances. Meanwhile, South Africa appeared stuck in their attacking efforts.

In the 42nd minute, Quinones nearly doubled the lead with a shot that hit the post after a combination with Jimenez. The first half ended 1-0, with the momentum favoring the host Mexico.

South Africa faced more trouble early in the second half at the 49th minute, when Sithole fouled Gutierrez from behind as the Mexican player was sprinting towards goal. The referee showed a straight red card, sending Sithole off and reducing South Africa to 10 men.

Playing a man down, the African representative defended valiantly but could not prevent Mexico from scoring a second goal in the 67th minute. From a cross by Alvarado, Jimenez headed home from close range to make it 2-0 for the hosts.

The final minutes of the match were tense, with two red cards in quick succession. In the 84th minute, after consulting VAR, the referee sent off South Africa's Themba Zwane for a retaliatory strike on Alvarado.

Despite being two men up, Mexico could not finish the match with a full squad. In the 2nd minute of stoppage time, Cesar Montes received a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Mudau during a South African attack. In the end, Mexico won 2-0, but Cesar Montes' red card was a significant blow for the co-host of the 2026 World Cup.