The 2026 World Cup began with high drama as hosts Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in a tempestuous opener that finished with just 19 players on the pitch. Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez scored either side of the interval, while red cards to Sphephelo Sithole, Themba Zwane and César Montes turned an assertive home performance into a fiery spectacle late on. Mexico set the tone early. Within minutes, Raúl Jiménez met a bouncing ball with a crisp volley from 12 yards, drawing sharp fingertips from Ronwen Williams. South Africa’s best first-half moment arrived on 35 minutes when Lyle Foster glanced a header wide, but Bafana Bafana largely lived off scraps as El Tri controlled territory and tempo. The pressure mounted before the break. Jiménez stretched to redirect an inswinging cross and again forced Williams into a save. Quiñones then struck the post from close range with the goal gaping, and Brian Gutierrez dragged a good opening wide. Persistence, however, paid off as Quiñones finally broke the deadlock, finishing from close range after another wave of Mexican pressure to hand the hosts a deserved halftime lead. South Africa’s task grew steeper early in the second half when Sithole was sent off, leaving Hugo Broos’s team to chase the game with 10 men. The home crowd grew briefly restless as chances came and went, but composure returned when Jiménez doubled the lead. Meeting a devilish delivery from Roberto Alvarado, the No 9 powered a downward header past Williams for his first World Cup goal, a strike that felt like the decisive blow. Late drama dominated the closing stages. Zwane saw red following a VAR review for an arm to the face, and Mexico were also reduced when César Montes was dismissed for denying a goalscoring opportunity. The dismissals did little to alter the outcome as Mexico saw out a professional victory. This was a statement start for the co-hosts: aggressive pressing, wing play that repeatedly stretched South Africa, and a forward line sharp enough to capitalize. Williams’s saves kept the margin respectable for Bafana Bafana, but their counterpunches lacked precision. Mexico take early command of the group and, despite the late red to Montes, bank a confident, composed opening-night win.