Mexico City, June 11, 2026 – Mohamed Almou Mexico kicked off the FIFA World Cup 2026 in style, securing a comfortable 2-0 victory over South Africa on Thursday evening at the iconic Mexico City Stadium.

Mexico wasted no time asserting their dominance, creating an early opportunity in the fifth minute when striker Raúl Jiménez unleashed a powerful shot, only to be denied by South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who produced an excellent save.

The pressure from El Tri continued, and their persistence paid off just four minutes later. In the ninth minute, Julián Quiñones found the back of the net to give the hosts a deserved 1-0 lead and ignite celebrations among the home crowd.

South Africa attempted to respond and find an equalizer before halftime, but Mexico’s organized defense held firm, allowing the hosts to head into the break with a narrow advantage.

The second half began disastrously for South Africa as Yaya Sithole was shown a red card in the 49th minute, leaving the African side with ten men.

Mexico capitalized on their numerical advantage and doubled their lead in the 67th minute. Raúl Jiménez rose highest to meet a precise cross from Roberto Alvarado, powering a header past Williams to make it 2-0.

South Africa struggled to break through Mexico’s resilient backline and suffered another setback when Themba Zwane received a red card in the 84th minute, reducing his team to nine players.

Despite Mexico’s control, defender César Montes was sent off in stoppage time (90+2), leaving both teams to finish the match with ten and nine players respectively.

The final whistle confirmed a deserved 2-0 victory for Mexico, giving the tournament hosts a perfect start to their World Cup campaign.

Mexico and South Africa are part of Group A, alongside South Korea and the Czech Republic. The win places Mexico at the top of the group and provides an early boost in their quest to advance to the knockout stages. :::