Mexico launch historic World Cup amid red mist and party vibes
By Nawaz Gohar ; The 2026 World Cup is officially underway, and it has already delivered an unforgettable cocktail of high-octane celebration and pure, unadulterated chaos.
In a tempestuous opening clash at a rocking Estadio Azteca, co-hosts Mexico swept past South Africa 2-0, surviving a wildly fractured encounter where the colorful pyrotechnic smoke of the opening ceremony quickly gave way to a blinding cloud of red mist.
This monumental fixture kicked off the largest tournament in football history—the first-ever 48-team edition spread across three nations. It was entirely fitting that the iconic Azteca, the first stadium to host three separate World Cup opening matches, provided the backdrop.
Yet, while the stadium breathes the romantic history of Pelé’s 1970 wizardry and Maradona’s 1986 “Hand of God,” Thursday’s spectacle will likely be remembered for a much more modern brand of drama: a furious flurry of three red cards.
The electric, green-clad crowd of supporters—some of whom had arrived a staggering seven hours before kickoff to bypass protests paralyzing Mexico City—were treated to a dream start. Following a dazzling opening ceremony featuring global icons Shakira and Burna Boy, El Tri immediately went to work.
The match was barely minutes old when Raúl Jiménez stung the fingertips of South Africa keeper Ronwen Williams with a ferocious volley.
The breakthrough arrived moments later. Midfielder Érick Lira—shockingly selected in the starting lineup over team captain Edson Álvarez—justified his manager’s gamble by robbing Sphephelo Sithole on the edge of the box. Lira quickly fed Julián Quiñones, who danced inward before drilling a clinical, low finish under Williams to ignite absolute bedlam in the stands.
For all the early dominance, the match took a distinctly ugly turn after the interval.
South Africa’s afternoon began to unravel completely in the 54th minute. Brian Gutiérrez launched a marauding run toward the penalty area, only to be brought down from behind by a clumsy, desperate tackle from Sithole. Already responsible for losing the ball on the opening goal, the midfielder’s miserable day ended with a straight red card.
As the minutes ticked away, the home crowd grew visibly anxious as Mexico struggled to ruthlessly convert their numerical superiority into goals. The relief finally came courtesy of the veteran, Jiménez. Meeting a devilish cross from Roberto Alvarado, the forward powered a trademark downward header into the back of the net to kill off any lingering tension.
With the points secure, the final whistle was instead foreshadowed by complete disciplinary collapse. South Africa’s Themba Zwane was sent off following a meticulous VAR review for an arm to the face. Minutes later, Mexico’s own César Montes saw red for a cynical, last-man challenge that denied a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Despite breaking a historic curse—marking Mexico’s very first victory in a World Cup opening match after seven previous failures—the fractured performance failed to satisfy their demanding manager.
“This was a 4-0 match,” a visibly stern Javier Aguirre told reporters post-game. “We did not play well enough, even if the fans are happy. Look, it’s the start of the World Cup; we have put the opening-day nerves behind us and we have three points. But we are already fixing our eyes on what is next.”
What is next is a mouth-watering, high-stakes collision. Mexico travels to Guadalajara on June 18 to face an equally confident South Korea team coming off their own comeback victory. On the same day, a depleted, suspended South Africa will face the Czech Republic in Atlanta, with both teams already fighting for survival in a ruthless Group A.
