Mexico beats – Mexico opened its World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over South Africa at Estadio Azteca on Thursday, June 11, but the match was repeatedly interrupted by red cards. Julian Quiñones scored in the ninth minute, Mexico doubled its lead in the 67th, and South Afri
Mexico wanted a clean start at Estadio Azteca. It got goals, momentum, and a roar from the stands — and also a sequence of red cards that changed the temperature of the game.
In the 2026 World Cup opener on Thursday, June 11, Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in a match dominated by the home side. The lead arrived early: Julian Quinones scored in the ninth minute, finishing past South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams from just outside the box.
The second half began with another burst of Mexico pressure. In the 49th minute, Brian Gutierrez ran free toward goal, but Sphephelo Sithole brought him down and was shown a red card. Mexico made the advantage permanent in the 67th minute when Raul Jimenez nodded in a cross from Roberto Alvarado.
South Africa’s night unraveled further in the 84th minute. when it was reduced to nine men as another red left it with too little time for an unlikely comeback. Mexico also received a red before the final whistle: center back Cesar Montes was ejected for a last-man tackle. The sending off will force Mexico manager Javier Aguirre to modify his center-back pairing in the next game.
After a lengthy review. it was determined that Themba Zwane made contact to the face with a Mexico player. which led South Africa to pick up its second red card of the match. That sequence left South Africa to play the final 10 minutes down to nine men. The third red card came with Montes’ dismissal in the 92nd minute.
The scoreline didn’t capture the full disruption. Mexico saw red before the final whistle, while South Africa’s physicality — and what officials ultimately determined on review — turned the closing stages into a test of discipline as much as attack.
Raúl Jiménez. the Mexican forward who scored in the 67th minute. has been wearing a custom. medically approved protective head guard for the past five years and will continue to do so for the remainder of his career. On November 29. 2020. Jiménez suffered a catastrophic head injury while playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers in a Premier League match against Arsenal. after clashing head-on with Arsenal defender David Luiz.
Mexico’s response to the first red was immediate in the match narrative: Goalscorer Julián Quiñones came off for Alexis Vega after the early turning point of the 49th-minute dismissal. Alvarado’s cross set Raúl Jiménez up for the header that beat Williams for the second Mexico goal.
The game also included its own set of cautionary moments beyond the red cards. Brian Gutiérrez picked up Mexico’s first yellow card of the 2026 World Cup after a hard foul in the 26th minute. Earlier chances followed the opening goal: Mexico continued to dominate. including a shot by Raúl Jiménez toward the top right corner that Williams had to fly for. and Julián Quiñones coming close to adding a second before the halftime break when his shot bounced off the right post.
The rhythm of the evening was written as much by the crowd as by the tactics. Inside Estadio Azteca. fans sang “Cielito Lindo” and chanted “ME-XI-CO!” while turquoise disks made to look like papel picado rained down from the stands after the anthems. giving way to beer when Quiñones scored. By halftime. Mexico led 1-0. and after the opening ceremony. anthems. and Quiñones’ goal. the crowd’s energy had been steady enough that the match moment belonged to Mexico’s style rather than the chaos around it.
Mexico’s 2-0 win carries forward into the next group game. Mexico now turns its attention to its second group game, a date in Jalisco with South Korea. South Africa will look to bounce back against Czechia.
Prices and logistics at the stadium added another layer to the day’s spectacle. Concessions at Estadio Azteca came with steep rates: bottled water for 80 pesos ($4.55). 160 pesos for a Coca-Cola. and 290 pesos ($16.67) for a 24-ounce beer. Concession stands sold three tacos for 240 pesos. The Group A matchup between Mexico and South Africa kicked off at 3:00 p.m. ET, with the World Cup inauguration festivities beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET.
The stadium itself is temporarily operating under the name “Mexico City Stadium” due to FIFA’s naming regulations, despite “Estadio Banorte” being the sponsored name of Estadio Azteca. The venue hosted the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals and underwent massive renovations ahead of the 2026 tournament.
Mexico arrived with tournament momentum. having swept the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League and CONCACAF Gold Cup titles. defeating Panama in the former final and the USA in the latter. Striker Raúl Jiménez. who took years to recover his full form after the November 2020 head injury. scored six times across four matches between the semifinals and finals of those competitions.
Mexico vs South Africa 2026 World Cup Estadio Azteca Julián Quiñones Raúl Jiménez Ronwen Williams Sphephelo Sithole Themba Zwane César Montes Javier Aguirre FIFA naming regulations CONCACAF Nations League CONCACAF Gold Cup match report
2-0 but like why all the red cards tho? Sounds chaotic.
I only saw the headline and thought Mexico lost and then I read it was 2-0? The reds “erupt late” like that means they scored late too? Either way refs were busy.
So the second half had all those reds, but they still scored in the 67th and it was ‘clean start’?? Also who got the first red again, the guy who tackled or the one who hit in the face? I’m confused because it says after a review Themba did it but then it’s like multiple reds back to back.
World Cup opener and it turns into wrestling… Mexico should’ve just played normal after the 9th minute goal. If they’re already giving up red cards then South Africa definitely had a chance, but refs probably ruined it. Also center back being ejected for last-man tackle? Yeah that’s basically always a red in my book.