MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - JUNE 11: Raul Jimenez #9 of Mexico celebrates with teammates after scoring the team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A match between Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City Stadium on June 11, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
El Tri got off to the right start by defeating South Africa, 2-0, on scores from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez, in a match that saw three players sent off–a record for a World Cup opening match.
TOPSHOT – Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio shows a red card to South Africa’s midfielder #11 Themba Zwane during the 2026 World Cup Group A football match between Mexico and South Africa at the Mexico City Stadium in Mexico City on June 11, 2026. (Photo by Yuri CORTEZ / AFP via Getty Images)
South Africa saw two players sent off. Sphehelo Sithole in the 50th minute and Themba Zwane in the 84th. Sithole saw red for denying Brian Gutierrez a goal scoring opportunity while VAR caught Zwane hitting Roberto Alvarado in the face.
For Mexico, Cesar Montes the man from Lokomotiv Moscow, saw a red card in the 90+2 minute for a cynical challenge on Khuliso Mudau.
Quinones scored after Mexico took advantage of a defensive error in the back by Sithole, who was stripped of the ball by Erik Lira. Lira then fed the ball to Quinones for the opening score. Jimenez scored his first goal at a World Cup in his first World Cup start in his fifth World Cup heading in a cross from Alvarado.
For Mexico’s manager, Javier Aguirre, it was just primo to see his accurate moves and deliver the team to a higher ground. In the end, his all-around moves were delivered when he started making his trademark moves in the end.
Their next match is agains South Korea (2-1 winners over Czechia) next Thursday in Guadalajara (8pm CT, Fox/Telemundo). South Africa will look to recover against Czechia on Wednesday in Atlanta (12pm ET, Fox/Telemundo).
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