The 2026 World Cup kicked off in Mexico City with two Group A matches that delivered incredible excitement, historical records, and dramatic plots for the fans. The co-hosts of the tournament, Mexico, defeated South Africa in a match with three red cards, while South Korea staged a comeback to beat the Czech Republic.
Mexico — South Africa 2:0
Goals: Quinones, 9; Jimenez, 67
Red cards: Sithole (South Africa), 49; Zwane (South Africa), 84; Montes (Mexico), 90+2
Stadium: «Azteca», Mexico City
South Korea — Czech Republic 2:1
Goals: Krejci, 59 — Hwang In Beom, 67; Oh Hyun Gyu, 80
Stadium: «Akron», Zapopan
Mexico crushes South Africa: chaos, records, and Jimenez's tears
The first World Cup match at the legendary «Azteca» stadium gathered 80,824 spectators, and the hosts did not disappoint their crowd. Already in the 9th minute, Julian Quinones, the top scorer of the Saudi league last season (33 goals), opened the scoring with a powerful shot between the legs of goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
«It's a miracle»: the goal that made the whole stadium cry
In the 67th minute, the most touching moment of the evening occurred. Raul Jimenez — the same striker who suffered a skull fracture in an EPL match six years ago and miraculously survived — scored with his signature header. It was his 46th goal for the national team, allowing him to tie with the legendary Jared Borgetti in terms of goals. Jimenez couldn't hold back his tears, and the 80,000-seat stadium erupted in applause.
«It's a miracle to be here with you», — Jimenez said during his recovery, and this goal became the culmination of his incredible journey.
Three red cards: how the opening match made history
However, the main topic of discussion was the incredible level of toughness. Referee Wilton Sampaio showed three straight red cards, setting an absolute record for opening matches of World Cups.
Sfefelo Sithole (South Africa, 49') — the first red card in opening matches since 1994. Former Premier League referee Graham Scott confirmed: the decision was correct — Colonel Sithole's foul denied a clear scoring opportunity for the Mexican.
Themba Zwane (South Africa, 84') — sent off for minor contact with the opponent's face. Scott called this decision «too harsh» by EPL standards, but in line with FIFA's strict standards, where any head contact is punished with a red card.
Cesar Montes (Mexico, 90+2') — the hosts' captain fouled in the South African's final attack, denying a goal-scoring opportunity.
As a result, South Africa finished the match with nine players, and Mexico with ten. For comparison: in the last World Cup in Qatar, only 4 red cards were shown for the entire tournament.
South Korea snatches victory from the Czech Republic: drama in Guadalajara
While the first match was remembered for refereeing terror, the second became an example of fighting spirit. At the «Akron» stadium, the Czech Republic, returning to the World Cup after a 20-year absence, was on the verge of an upset.
Son Heung-min disappointed, but the Koreans found heroes
Korean captain Son Heung-min had one of the worst matches of his career. He repeatedly went one-on-one with goalkeeper Matej Kovar, but his shots lacked precision, and the ease with which the Czech goalkeeper dealt with threats from Asia's main star caused disappointment in the stands.
In the 59th minute, the punishment for wastefulness came: a powerful long throw-in from Vladimir Coufal found Ladislav Krejci in the penalty area, who opened the scoring with a sharp header — 0:1.
It seemed like the nightmare was repeating. But coach Hong Myung-bo reacted instantly — Hwang Hee-chan came on, and a few minutes later, the struggling Son was replaced by the fresh forward Oh Hyun Gyu.
The substitution turned the game around. In the 67th minute, Lee Kang-in delivered a brilliant pass, and Hwang In-beom skillfully dribbled past the defender and scored in the corner — 1:1.
In the 77th minute, the Czech Republic had a chance to kill the game: Tomas Soucek scored with a header, but VAR rightly disallowed the goal due to offside.
And three minutes later, the Koreans punished the opponent for the missed opportunity. The substitute Oh Hyun Gyu finished off Hwang In-beom's cross, making the score 2:1 in favor of the Asian team.
Historic victory
This victory was South Korea's first in the opening match of the World Cup in the last three tournaments.
Standings and future predictions
After the first round, the Group A standings are as follows:
| Team | Points | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 3 | +2 |
| South Korea | 3 | +1 |
| Czech Republic | 0 | -1 |
| South Africa | 0 | -2 |
What's next?
With victories, Mexico and South Korea are now the main favorites to advance to the playoffs. Their head-to-head meeting in the next round will likely determine the group winner. The Czech Republic showed character, but they face a tough battle against a demoralized but still dangerous South Africa. The first day of the World Cup gave us goals, fights, tears, and historical records. It seems we are in for an unforgettable tournament.