MEXICO CITY,12 June (H.S.): Mexico launched their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion, defeating South Africa 2-0 in front of a jubilant home crowd in the tournament's opening match. The encounter, played at Estadio Azteca on Thursday, featured a dramatic second half in which three players were shown red cards.

Mexico adopted an attacking approach from the outset and scored the first goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the ninth minute. Capitalizing on a defensive error by South Africa, Julian Quiñones found the back of the net from close range to create a historic moment. The goal sparked wild celebrations among the fans packed inside Estadio Azteca.

South Africa's problems worsened shortly after the restart. In the 49th minute, Yaya Sithole was shown a straight red card for denying Brian Gutiérrez a clear goal-scoring opportunity. The referee ruled that Sithole had illegally prevented an obvious chance on goal and immediately sent him off.

Making full use of their numerical advantage, Mexico doubled their lead in the 67th minute. Veteran striker Raúl Jiménez produced a fine finish to put his side firmly in control at 2-0.

South Africa's situation deteriorated further in the closing stages when Themba Zwane was also sent off, reducing his team to nine players. Mexico, however, were not spared disciplinary trouble, as César Montes received a red card after the 90-minute mark and was dismissed.

With the victory, Mexico made a strong start to their World Cup campaign and sent a clear message about their ambitions on home soil.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar