On June 11 at 3 p.m. EST, Mexico hosted South Africa in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Mexico won 2-0 as three players, two for Mexico and one for South Africa, got sent off in the process.
Just before kickoff, we saw images of a packed Estadio Azteca, celebrities like singers Becky G and Tyla as well as Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez, and FIFA ambassadors like Cafu, Roberto Carlos and Ronaldinho. It was overcast but the perfect weather conditions for soccer. By the final whistle, rain came and went and it was sunny enough that the roof of the stadium cast its shadow onto the field.
The first goal came from a mistake in South Africa’s defense that gave Mexican striker Julián Quiñones an open shot from just inside the center of the half moon. He shot low and hard and the ball snuck between the keeper’s legs and into the center of the goal.
Then came the first red card of the game. In the 50th minute, center defensive midfielder Yaya Sithole made a tackle from behind on midfielder Brian Gutiérrez who was free on goal. Being the last defender, Sithole was then sent off and the South African side was down to 10 men.
After 20 minutes of jeers from the Mexican crowd — as they were not happy with the fact that Mexico was not taking advantage of being up a player — center forward Raúl Jiménez would head the ball from just inside the six-yard box to increase their lead to 2-0.
Two more red cards would be shown. The first in the 84th minute shown to South African midfielder Themba Zwane for hitting a Mexican player off the ball. The second would be shown to Mexican defender César Montes in the 90+2 minute for a clear and obvious tackle of a player who had a goal-scoring opportunity.
Overall, both teams could use improvement. South Africa lacked offensive creativity and did not seem to know what to do when they had the ball in Mexico’s half. They also made simple mistakes in the back including the one that led to the first goal of the game.
Mexico was decent on offense but lacked the urgency their fans were looking for. When the first red card was shown, fans were waiting to see Mexico take things into second gear and secure their win. However, they remained too calm in possession as if not realizing the advantage they had.
One thing that Mexico should keep in mind is that if they top their group, they would have home field advantage up until the quarterfinals should they make it that far in the tournament.
As always, stay tuned to Futbolhijo.com for in-depth coverage of the biggest World Cup yet. Check back for my next article, where I will be covering matches and news that occurs throughout the tournament. You can also read my previous analysis of Groups J, K and L.
Cover photo: Raúl Jiménez. Taken by Selección Nacional de México. Wikipedia. Creative Commons.
One comment