In the opening matches of the World Cup, Mexico beat South Africa and South Korea defeated the Czech Republic
The Mexican national team got off to a flying start at the home World Cup, beating South Africa 2–0 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
The scoring opened as early as the ninth minute. Julián Quiñones became the first goalscorer of the 2026 World Cup. Following a misplaced pass by goalkeeper Ronven Williams, South Africa midfielder Yaya Sitole made a mistake, allowing Eric Lira to intercept the ball, after which Quiñones fired home from the centre of the penalty area.
Early in the second half, South Africa were reduced to ten men. In the 49th minute, Yaya Sitole was shown a straight red card for a foul on Bryan Gutierrez, who was through on goal.
In the 67th minute, the Mexicans extended their lead. Raúl Jiménez headed home a cross from Roberto Alvarado on the right flank to make it 2–0.
In the 84th minute, the referee sent off Temba Zwane after reviewing the video replay. The South African international swung at Roberto Alvarado and struck his opponent in the face.
In stoppage time, in the 90+2nd minute, the Mexican team were reduced to ten men. César Montes was shown a red card for a last-ditch foul.
Interestingly, Mexico and South Africa have previously met in a World Cup opening match. This happened in 2010, when South Africa hosted the tournament. On that occasion, the teams drew 1-1.
In the first-round match of Group A at the 2026 World Cup, South Korea beat the Czech Republic 2-1. The match took place at the Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico.
The first half ended goalless. After the break, the Czech team opened the scoring. In the 59th minute, Ladislav Krejčí headed the ball into the net following a throw-in taken by Tomáš Souček.
However, the Czech Republic’s lead did not last long. In the 67th minute, Hwang In-beom equalised, and in the 80th minute he provided the assist for Oh Hyun-kyu, who secured the victory for his team.
Before the Koreans’ second goal, the Czechs had a chance to take the lead again. In the 77th minute, Tomáš Souček headed home a free-kick, but the referee ruled it offside.
After the first round of matches, Mexico and South Korea lead the group with three points each. The Czech Republic and South Africa remain without any points so far.
In the second round on 19 June, Mexico will face South Korea, whilst on 18 June, South Africa will play against the Czech Republic.
The 2026 World Cup is being held in the USA, Mexico and Canada from 11 June to 19 July. For the first time, 48 national teams are taking part in the tournament. The teams are divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group, as well as the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 16.
