The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the largest edition of tournament , officially began Thursday at Mexico City’s legendary Estadio Azteca with a match that saw more red cards than goals. Co-hosts Mexico secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over the Bafana bafana players of South Africa.
Julián Quiñones delivered the opening goal for El Tri in just the 9th minute, marking the first time a Concacaf player scored the inaugural goal of a single World Cup edition . His strike came after Erik Lira won a fifty-fifty ball, allowing Quiñones to pounce on the opportunity while South African defenders failed to mark him . At age 26, the former Club América winger led all Mexico players with five total shots, five successful dribbles, and earned player-of-the-match honors .
Raul Jimenez cemented Mexico’s three points in the 67th minute with an emotional header, his first-ever World Cup goal at age 35 . The striker, visibly tearful after scoring, pointed to the sky in honor of his late father who passed away in March . Just years before, Jimenez had suffered a life-changing skull fracture while playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League, making this goal a triumphant return . At 35 years and 37 days, he became the oldest player to score on his first FIFA World Cup start .
The match descended into chaos with three straight red cards—more than the two goals scored. Mexico’s center back Cesar Montes received a deliberate hip-check red card in a surprise twist, leaving El Tri without their key defender for the next game . South Africa’s Sithole was issued a red for a clear foul on Brian Gutiérrez outside the box in the 49th minute, reducing South Africa to 10 players . Later, Themba Zwane was carded for hand contact on Roberto Alvarado, dropping South Africa to nine players from the 50th minute .
South Africa’s goalkeeper Ronwen Williams produced goalkeeping brilliance with an outrageous one-handed save on Jimenez at 41 minutes, keeping the score narrow despite Mexico’s player advantage .
Despite 16 total shots, Mexico managed only four attempts on target, highlighting stretches of indecisiveness out of back that slowed momentum �. For now, Mexico leads Group A with three points, while South Africa will face their next match without two players .
The opening ceremony featured World Cup anthem queen Shakira and legendary Mexican rock band Mana, delivering all the pomp and circumstance of the tournament’s grand debut . Despite natural opening-game jitters, Quiñones’ early goal eased pressure on the co-hosts as the sell-out home crowd boomed every touch up the pitch .
In the second match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, South Korea showcased remarkable fighting spirit with a 2-1 comeback victory over Czech Republic at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico . After falling behind following Krejčí’s opening header from Vladimir Coufal’s throw-in, the Taeguk Warriors demonstrated resilience to turn the match around .
Captain Son Heung-min first brought South Korea level with a superb strike before Oh Hyeon-Gyu netted the winner, securing three points in Group A . The 2-1 scoreline highlighted South Korea’s tournament history: of their eight victories, four came after conceding the opening goal, and each of those comeback wins ended with identical 2-1 scorelines .
In-beom Hwang put in a stellar performance as the hero for South Korea, leading the team past Czech Republic in the frantic final quarter . Ladislav Krejcí’s towering header appeared to reward Czech Republic’s counter-attacking approach, but South Korea’s quality eventually told . An unusual statistic from the match: the first yellow card was not shown until the 96th minute, marking one of the cleanest finishes in World Cup history .
South Korea can sometimes operate in a back three, keeping them fluid in attack, and this victory demonstrated their technical quality and tournament experience . This result further highlights South Korea’s remarkable fighting spirit at the FIFA World Cup .
African Champions’ World Cup Prospects: Senegal and DR Congo Arrive in the USA
Senegal, the African champions and Lions of Teranga, arrived in the United States as the first African nation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking an early and confident start . The team settled into their base camp at Rutgers University in New Jersey, preparing for Group I challenges alongside France, Norway, and Iraq .
Senegal will face France next Tuesday, June 16, in their opening group-stage match at Liberty Airport in New Jersey, near New York . A refreshed Lions of Teranga will aim to channel the smoothness of qualification rather than chaotic aftermath of Afcon . The team’s chance in this tournament depends on their ability to overcome France, one of the world’s strongest teams, in their opener .
The Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa’s representatives nicknamed the Leopards, arrived in the United States wearing leopard-inspired outfits that proudly reflect their nickname . DR Congo will face Portugal on Wednesday, June 17, at Houston Stadium in their opening Group K match .
DR Congo qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking an achievement for Central African football . Their chance in this tournament centers on their ability to compete against Portugal, a team with significant European football pedigree and tournament experience .
