World Cup: Nine-man South Africa crumble as Jiménez seals Mexico victory

Mexico launched their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over South Africa in a dramatic opening match that saw three red cards issued. The home crowd at the Mexico City Stadium witnessed Julián Quiñones score the inaugural goal of the tournament, followed by a decisive second-half strike from veteran forward Raúl Jiménez.

Mexico established early dominance, with Quiñones finding the net in the ninth minute after South Africa failed to clear sustained pressure from the hosts. The complexion of the game shifted significantly after halftime when South Africa's Yaya Sithole received a red card in the 49th minute, reducing them to ten players.

Despite the numerical advantage, Mexico extended their lead in the 67th minute. Roberto Alvarado provided a precise cross, which Jiménez headed home from close range to secure the 2-0 lead. The match then devolved into a disciplinary affair. Substitute Themba Zwane was initially shown a yellow card, but a VAR review upgraded the offense to a red card for violent conduct in the 84th minute, leaving South Africa with only nine players on the field.

Mexico also finished the match with ten players after César Montes received a straight red card in stoppage time. Statistics show South Africa became the first team since Portugal and the Netherlands in 2006 to receive two red cards in a World Cup match. The three red cards in this single game far surpassed the total of four shown across all 64 matches of the 2022 World Cup. For Mexico, however, the primary takeaway was a winning start to their co-hosted tournament.