First 3 Points in the FIFA World Cup Go to Mexico!

The excitement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off with a historic opening match that kept football fans glued to their screens. In the first match of Group A, co-host nation Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 to say hello to the tournament with 3 points. However, what left its mark on the match was not just the football, but the red cards that went down in World Cup history.

Goals Came Early and Late With the tremendous support of their fans, Mexico started the match like a storm. Taking the lead in the 9th minute with a goal by Julián Quiñones, El Tri maintained control of the game. Catching a 61% possession rate and taking a total of 15 shots throughout the match, Mexico found the comforting goal they were looking for in the 67th minute via their experienced striker Raúl Jiménez.

A First in World Cup History: 3 Red Cards! Rather than its score, the encounter was etched into memories for its harshness and referee decisions. For the first time in World Cup history, a total of 3 red cards were shown in an opening match. As the tension reached its peak in the second half, cards flew one after another:

• On the South African side: Sphephelo Sithole in the 50th minute and Themba Zwane in the 84th minute left their team down to 9 men on the pitch with the red cards they received.

• On the Mexican side: In the stoppage time of the match, at 90+2', César Montes received a direct red card and was sent off.

South Africa finished the match with 9 players, while Mexico completed it with 10 players.

Statistics Favored Mexico In a match where roughness came to the fore, Mexico established a massive dominance over their opponent in passes (538 passes) and passing accuracy (91%). South Africa, on the other hand, struggled to show any presence in attack, finishing the game with only 4 shots.

With this result, Mexico put a valuable 3 points in their bag on the opening day and sat in the leader's seat in the group; however, they experience the bitterness of having Montes suspended before the next game. The World Cup has already signaled on its very first day how aggressive and exciting it will be.