Mexico opens World Cup with 2-0 win over South Africa

Mexico turned the World Cup’s first night into a surge of noise, relief and expectation, beating South Africa 2-0 at Mexico City Stadium and moving to the top of Group A. Julián Quiñones scored in the ninth minute and Raúl Jiménez added another in the 67th, but the match was shaped as much by discipline as by finishing, with three red cards, including one for Mexico captain César Montes.

For Javier Aguirre’s side, the result did more than deliver three points. It reset the mood around the host nation immediately, because an opening win at home carries a different weight in a tournament that Mexico is helping stage with the United States and Canada. Mexico is hosting a World Cup for the third time, after 1970 and 1986, and this one opened with a performance that felt both celebratory and uneasy, a reminder that early success will be measured against how far the team can carry the pressure that follows it.

The matchup also carried a history that added to the occasion. Mexico and South Africa met in a World Cup opener for the second time, repeating the same fixture that began the 2010 tournament in Johannesburg and finished 1-1. This time, Mexico made the faster start and kept the lead, even as the game became increasingly fractured and emotional.

South Africa’s day grew more difficult with two dismissals, while Mexico’s own red card to Montes underlined how quickly the opener tilted into chaos. Yet the home side still found enough control to protect the advantage and finish the job. For a crowd that erupted around the stadium and across the country, the scoreline delivered the cleanest possible message: Mexico can start the tournament on top of the group, but it has not yet answered every question about composure.

Those questions remain because the next rounds will punish hesitation. Only the top two teams in each group advance directly to the round of 16, joined by the eight best third-place finishers, so early points matter, but so does margin for error. Mexico now shares the lead in Group A with South Korea, which beat Chequia 2-1 in Guadalajara after coming from behind.

That match was decided by a swift second-half response. Ladislav Krejčí put Chequia ahead in the 59th minute, Hwang In-beom equalized in the 67th and Oh Hyeon-gyu completed the turnaround in the 80th. South Korea is now playing in its 11th consecutive World Cup, while Chequia returned to the tournament after 20 years away.

Aguirre was not fully satisfied despite the victory, saying his team still needs to raise its level in the matches ahead. The opening win gave Mexico the perfect starting position, but the scrutiny that comes with hosting has only shifted, not disappeared.