Mexico opens 2026 World Cup with historic win and three red cards

Mexico set the tone for the 2026 World Cup with a 2-0 win over South Africa at a packed Estadio Azteca, a match that produced the tournament’s first goal in the ninth minute from Julián Quiñones and ended with three straight red cards. Raúl Jiménez added the second goal, while the sending-offs turned the opener into an immediate test of discipline in the biggest World Cup ever staged.

The result launched a tournament spread across 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada, with 48 teams playing 104 matches. The expanded format has already made the opening weekend feel larger and busier than a traditional World Cup, with full stadiums, long travel days and a North American footprint that stretches from Mexico City to venues such as Guadalajara and Los Angeles.

Estadio Azteca carried its own weight in the moment. The stadium became the first to host three World Cup openers, adding 2026 to its previous first-match assignments in 1970 and 1986. More than 80,000 fans were making their way to the stadium as the tournament began, and the opening ceremony brought Shakira, Burna Boy, J Balvin, Maná and others into the spotlight before the first kickoff. It was a launch built to match FIFA’s ambition for an event on a scale the sport has never seen.

The opening match also made history for the wrong kind of chaos. Three red cards in one World Cup match set a tournament record, and it was the first time three players were sent off in a World Cup opening match. The mix of a packed house, early goal and late disciplinary drama gave the opener a sharper edge than a ceremonial showcase usually delivers.

Opening day also produced a clean result for South Korea, which beat Czechia 2-1. Later in the weekend, the U.S. men’s national soccer team delivered its own statement with a 4-1 win over Paraguay, its highest goal total in a World Cup match and a performance described as its best in the tournament to date. Folarin Balogun scored twice, and Chris Richards completed all 83 of his passes, the most by any player in a World Cup match since 1966. The first weekend suggested the expanded tournament can deliver both scale and drama, while also putting the logistics and intensity of a continent-spanning World Cup on full display.