The Mexican national football team ended the first match of the 2026 World Cup against South Africa with a score of 2-0 in their favor in a heated and controversial match; a match in which the referee issued three straight red cards two for South Africa and one for Mexico.
Publish dateSaturday 13 June 2026 - 09:19
Story Code : 357592
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Sports Service: This match was held on Thursday evening from Group A, with Wilton Sampaio refereeing at the Azteca Stadium. Julian Quinones scored the first goal of the 2026 World Cup in the 8th minute and Raul Jimenez scored the second goal for the hosts in the 67th minute.
The match started with a delay of about five minutes due to the opening ceremony. Aguirre's team started the game offensively from the very first minutes and created the first serious chance in the 4th minute, but the spectacular reaction of the South African goalkeeper prevented the goal from being opened.
First goal of the tournament by Quinones
Mexico's lead was converted in the 8th minute. A blunder by a South African defender allowed Quinones to score the first goal of the tournament with a precise shot. The referee then ordered a three-minute stoppage in the 24th minute due to the weather and a cooling break.
First red card of the tournament
In the second half, Mexico had an ideal opportunity to increase the lead in the 50th minute. On a quick counterattack, Gutierrez was on the verge of a one-on-one with the goalkeeper when Sisule fouled him on the edge of the penalty area. The referee showed no hesitation in showing a straight red card, marking the first red card and the first red card of the tournament.
Mexico doubled the lead
After South Africa were reduced to 10 men, the pressure on the home side increased. In the 67th minute, Alvarado sent the ball into the penalty area with a precise pass and Jimenez opened the opponent's goal for the second time with a spectacular header.
South Africa was sent off again!
In the 84th minute, in one of the scenes of the clash between the players, Temba Zwane committed a violent foul by kicking a Mexican player in the face, which initially escaped the referee's attention. However, the video assistant referee (VAR) room called the referee to review the scene. After reviewing the images, the referee showed Zwane a straight red card so that South Africa would continue the final minutes with nine players.
Mexico also sent off
In the final minutes of the game, Mexico defender Cesar Montes also received a straight red card from the referee, bringing the number of sent-offs in the match to three.
It is worth noting that more than 87,000 spectators were present at the Azteca Stadium in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. The stadium, which also hosted the World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986, is now the first stadium to host the opening match of a World Cup three times.
Julian Quinones, the scorer of the tournament's first goal, said after the match: "It's a great honor to be in the history of football. The Mexican fans are our strong support."
The referee, Brazilian Wilton Sampaio, issued three red cards, the most sending-offs in a World Cup opening match. Refereeing experts believe that all three were correctly done under FIFA's new rules and with the help of VAR.
The match started with a delay of about five minutes due to the opening ceremony. Aguirre's team started the game offensively from the very first minutes and created the first serious chance in the 4th minute, but the spectacular reaction of the South African goalkeeper prevented the goal from being opened.
First goal of the tournament by Quinones
Mexico's lead was converted in the 8th minute. A blunder by a South African defender allowed Quinones to score the first goal of the tournament with a precise shot. The referee then ordered a three-minute stoppage in the 24th minute due to the weather and a cooling break.
First red card of the tournament
In the second half, Mexico had an ideal opportunity to increase the lead in the 50th minute. On a quick counterattack, Gutierrez was on the verge of a one-on-one with the goalkeeper when Sisule fouled him on the edge of the penalty area. The referee showed no hesitation in showing a straight red card, marking the first red card and the first red card of the tournament.
Mexico doubled the lead
After South Africa were reduced to 10 men, the pressure on the home side increased. In the 67th minute, Alvarado sent the ball into the penalty area with a precise pass and Jimenez opened the opponent's goal for the second time with a spectacular header.
South Africa was sent off again!
In the 84th minute, in one of the scenes of the clash between the players, Temba Zwane committed a violent foul by kicking a Mexican player in the face, which initially escaped the referee's attention. However, the video assistant referee (VAR) room called the referee to review the scene. After reviewing the images, the referee showed Zwane a straight red card so that South Africa would continue the final minutes with nine players.
Mexico also sent off
In the final minutes of the game, Mexico defender Cesar Montes also received a straight red card from the referee, bringing the number of sent-offs in the match to three.
It is worth noting that more than 87,000 spectators were present at the Azteca Stadium in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. The stadium, which also hosted the World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986, is now the first stadium to host the opening match of a World Cup three times.
Julian Quinones, the scorer of the tournament's first goal, said after the match: "It's a great honor to be in the history of football. The Mexican fans are our strong support."
The referee, Brazilian Wilton Sampaio, issued three red cards, the most sending-offs in a World Cup opening match. Refereeing experts believe that all three were correctly done under FIFA's new rules and with the help of VAR.
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