The long wait is finally over. The 2026 FIFA World Cup officially kicked off on Thursday at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, and co-host Mexico delivered a commanding 2-0 victory over South Africa in a historic opener that thrilled a capacity crowd and set the stage for what promises to be a spectacular tournament.
From the very first whistle, the atmosphere inside the 87,000-seat stadium was electric, with Mexican fans draped in green, white, and red filling the stands to witness their nation begin its world cup campaign in front of a home audience. The match carried a special sense of nostalgia, coming exactly sixteen years after these two nations faced each other in the opening game of the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg, a contest that ended in a 1-1 draw.
This time, however, there would be no equalizer for Bafana Bafana. Mexico came out with purpose and urgency, and the deadlock was broken early. In the ninth minute, South Africa’s Sphephelo Sithole surrendered possession in a dangerous area near his own penalty box, and Julian Quinones pounced on the mistake to fire home the first goal of the 2026 world cup. The stadium erupted in a roar that could be heard across the Mexican capital.
South Africa, returning to the world cup for the first time since they hosted the tournament in 2010, showed glimpses of resilience and attacking intent throughout the first half. Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, widely regarded as one of the finest shot-stoppers on the continent, was in inspired form and denied Raul Jimenez with a stunning diving save to keep the score at 1-0 heading into the break. Winger Oswin Appollis tested Mexico’s backline on several occasions, giving the home defense legitimate cause for concern. However, the Mexicans looked sharper, more disciplined, and far more clinical in front of goal.
The second half descended into chaos almost immediately. South Africa were reduced to ten men when Sithole received a straight red card after pulling back a Mexican attacker who was through on goal. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Bafana Bafana refused to surrender and continued to press forward.
Their bravery, however, came at a cost. A second red card followed for the South Africans, leaving them with just nine players and effectively ending their hopes of staging a comeback. Mexico took full advantage, and veteran striker Raul Jimenez, playing in his fourth world cup, finally opened his tournament scoring account with a goal that brought tears to his eyes and the eyes of millions watching at home.
It was a deeply emotional moment. The 35-year-old forward had suffered a severe head injury in 2020 that threatened to end his career entirely. His journey back to full fitness and, ultimately, to scoring at a world cup on home soil, was the kind of story that transcends sport. Jimenez sank to his knees on the pitch at the Azteca, overcome with emotion, as teammates rushed to embrace him and the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Mexico’s head coach Javier Aguirre, who is managing the national team in his third stint in charge, praised Jimenez’s resilience and the team’s overall performance in his post-match interview.
There was one more red card to come, this time for Mexico, as defender Cesar Montes was shown a straight red for a professional foul. The dismissal barely dampened the celebrations of El Tri, who held on comfortably to see out a 2-0 win. Three red cards in total made for a feisty, competitive encounter that will not soon be forgotten.
As the first of 104 games in this expanded world cup tournament, the match delivered exactly the kind of drama and intensity that fans around the globe had been craving. Mexico and South Africa may have played the opening act, but if this result is anything to go by, the 2026 world cup is going to be one for the ages.
