Mexico’s 2-0 World Cup opening win over South Africa at Estadio Azteca on Thursday came with a bitter aftertaste: César Montes was shown a red card in stoppage time, leaving El Tri without a key defender ahead of the next match against South Korea.
César Montes didn’t even have time to absorb the roar inside Estadio Azteca.
The moment came in the first minute of stoppage time. when Mexico’s defender was sent off after clipping Khuliso Mudau during a counter from the right wing—an action that denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity. The red card landed on a night that had already been shaped by three separate dismissals from referee Wilton Sampaio. turning Mexico’s opening 2-0 victory into something sharper. and more complicated. than anyone in the stadium wanted.
Mexico did win comfortably over South Africa on Thursday. cruising to a 2-0 result in front of a raucous home crowd. Manager Javier Aguirre said the scoreline could have been even bigger. while also explaining that missed chances came from the nerves of playing on the world stage in your own country for the first time.
“We got 16 shots on our opponent,” Aguirre said in Spanish. “We made a lot of passes, a lot of possession. Really, we never struggled on the back line. It was a 2-0 match; it could’ve been a 4-0 match.”
For much of the match, Mexico’s rhythm looked in control. One missed moment arrived early in the first half, in the 49th minute, when Brian Gutiérrez had a free run at goal—only to be dragged down from behind by South Africa midfielder Yaya Sithole just before he dribbled into the penalty box.
That sequence became part of a wider story of opportunities and disruption. Sampaio’s first red card drama started at the 83rd minute. when Themba Zwane was booted from the game after running into Roberto “El Piojo” Alvarado and making contact with his face. That left Bafana Bafana with only nine players on the pitch for the final seven minutes.
Mexico, though, didn’t escape the chaos. The dismissals also piled pressure onto Hugo Broos’s South Africa, who watched one call go their way and another fall against them.
Broos said, “The second (red card), we can discuss.” He pointed to the Mexican player involved and added, “It was the Mexican player who was blocking my player. It’s the position of the referee, and we have to accept it also, but …. it was too soft to give that as a red card.”
Aguirre’s reaction to Montes was more restrained, but no less clear about what the team now has to solve.
“Cesar’s ejection was avoidable in many ways,” Aguirre said. “But it’s part of the game, and we’re preparing now for what comes next.”
The red card creates an immediate, practical problem for El Tri: how to handle the back line in the next match against South Korea without Montes.
In the wake of that suspension, Edson Álvarez is described as the most likely answer. Aguirre had sent Álvarez into the opening on the bench after saying he felt the 28-year-old defender “hadn’t quite found his rhythm” in his first few matches back from a February right ankle surgery. Aguirre said he spoke with Álvarez and that the situation was understood.
“I spoke with him and he understood it perfectly,” Aguirre said. “He’s a very useful player and he’ll surely be utilized down the line in this tournament.”
Erik Lira is also mentioned as a possibility, though he’s expected to stay in the middle.
Still, for all the turbulence around the red cards, Mexico insists the priority isn’t second-guessing what happened—it’s what happens next.
Aguirre acknowledged that finishing first in Group A remains less important than timing, execution, and moving forward through the tournament.
“Right now, the only thing on our minds is the match against Korea,” he said. “It’s easy to make calculations, additions and subtractions, but in reality, it’s not important. It’s not our priority. Ours is to think about Korea. try to be better than them. try to win and keep going like that. step by step and see what the future holds for us.”.
Mexico may still be positioned as the best team in Group A, but the night’s lingering image is Montes leaving the pitch at Estadio Azteca—sent off late, just as momentum looked secure.
Mexico World Cup opener South Africa vs Mexico Estadio Azteca César Montes red card Wilton Sampaio Javier Aguirre Hugo Broos Edson Álvarez South Korea match Group A