Mexico kicked off the 2026 World Cup with a statement 2–0 victory over South Africa in a chaotic opener that produced more red cards than goals at a packed Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez scored either side of halftime to give El Tri the perfect start on home soil, while Bafana Bafana’s return to the tournament after 16 years quickly turned into a “baptism of fire.”
Quiñones made history as the scorer of the World Cup’s first goal, pouncing on a sloppy defensive pass and firing through Ronwen Williams’ legs in the 9th minute to ignite the Azteca crowd. The Colombian‑born forward—now a naturalised Mexican—was at the heart of everything Mexico did well in the opening half, nearly adding a second before the break and repeatedly stretching South Africa’s back line. A highlight reel of his opener and Mexico’s second is available here.
@fifaworldcup Mexico 🆚 South Africa #FIFAWorldCup
♬ GTA - PHONKA TRUCK & broke.
The game’s real talking point, though, was discipline. South Africa’s Sphephelo “Yaya” Sithole was sent off early in the second half for denying a clear goal‑scoring opportunity as Brian Gutiérrez broke through on goal, leaving Bafana down to 10 men and hanging on. Themba Zwane later picked up a second yellow to reduce them to nine, while Mexico’s César Montes also saw red in stoppage time, ensuring the opener will be remembered as much for its three dismissals as for the scoreline.
With the numerical advantage, Mexico controlled 61% possession, out‑shot South Africa and finally killed the contest in the 67th minute when Jiménez swept home the second goal. The veteran striker’s finish capped a performance that ESPN and other outlets described as “comfortable” and “commanding,” even if El Tri at times looked wasteful in front of goal.
For Mexico, the win delivers exactly what they needed: the tournament’s first victory and an early grip on Group A, celebrated by watch parties from Mexico City to Mexican communities in Atlanta and Los Angeles. For South Africa, analysis back home has focused on poor decision‑making, sloppy passing and a lack of composure on the big stage, with local media calling it a disastrous start that leaves them with work to do against Czechia and South Korea. A detailed post‑mortem on “what went wrong for Bafana and what they must change” can be found here.