Mexico: The FIFA World Cup has officially begun, and Day 1 had everything a football fan could ask for: the drama, aggression and a lot of bookings. Mexico kicked off their campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over South Africa at the Estadio Azteca, Mexico City. For the first time, Mexico have won their opening match as hosts.
On the same night in Guadalajara, the South Korean side fought back from a goal down to beat Czechia 2-1, ending the thrilling first day of Group A action. With three points each, Mexico and South Korea are sitting comfortably at the top of the table, while South Africa and Czechia are under pressure and will need redemption in their next matches.
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Mexico Breaks the Curse
Despite being a good footballing side, Mexico had never won an opening game at a World Cup in their seven attempts. Overall, they managed just two draws and five defeats, which doesn’t justify the players they have produced in the past. Records like these can haunt even bigger teams, but not this year.
In front of 80,000 roaring fans at Azteca, Javier Aguirre’s men were ready to take any challenge. Last time, both these teams played each other at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. It was a deja vu moment for fans. And to make it even better, Julián Quiñones scored the first goal of the World Cup 2026 in the ninth minute. The crowd was electric, Mexicans were ecstatic, and the South African team was looking desperate.
The second half began, Yaya Sithole received the first red card of the evening and the FIFA World Cup 2026. And within the next 17 minutes, veteran Mexican striker Raúl Jiménez powered in a header to make it 2-0. That was the moment of losing hope. In the 84th minute, Themba Zwane got sent off. By the end of the match, César Montes of Mexico was also booked and sent off. In total, there were six bookings, 2 yellow and a red card for Mexico, and 2 yellow and a red card each for South Africa.
Throughout the match, Mexico were dominant with 61% possession, 91 % pass accuracy, 538 passes, and 5 shots on target. Even though they committed 12 fouls and an offside, results might have been different if South Africa had played calmly instead of being aggressive. With a 2-0 win, Mexico are at the top of Group A and will play against South Korea on 19 June. On the other hand, South Africa’s next challenge would be South Korea.
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South Korea Redemption
Whether you talk about rankings or performance, South Korea were clearly the favorites. However, it was Czechia who took the lead. 59th minute, Ladislav Krejčí converted a clever long throw-in from Vladimír Coufal to a successful header. But the match didn’t slip away as South Korea made an amazing comeback within 8 minutes.
Hwang In-beom leveled in the 67th minute, thanks to a beautiful assist by Lee Kang-in. A dummy shot to send away the entire Czechia defense and goalkeeper the wrong way before slotting the ball in the net. That under-pressure goal changed the momentum of the match. And within the next 13 minutes, South Korea scored again and took the lead 2-1.
With less than 11 minutes for full-time, both teams wanted a match winner. Then came the substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu. Hwang In-beom was phenomenally fast and played like a true champion. He crossed, and a beautiful tap by Oh Hyeon-gyu gave Korea the goal they needed the most. Hwang was named Player of the Match for a goal and an assist, whereas South Korea have now beaten Germany (2018), Portugal (2022), and Czechia (2026) in their opening World Cup fixtures.
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FIFA World Cup: Records Broken on Day 1
Estadio Azteca has always been a magical stadium, but Thursday was a record-breaking day. After 1970 and 1986, they hosted the 2026 World Cup opening match, making them the first stadium to ever host games at three different men’s World Cups. With Thursday’s win, Mexico is now one of the most unbeatable teams at home venues - with six wins and two draws.
Another unfortunate record for a World Cup opening match was broken as three players were sent off in one match. To put that in perspective, Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup produced just four red cards across all 64 games, and a single game of 2026 is almost 75% there. Mexico’s César Montes and South Africa’s Yaya Sithole and Themba Zwane will not be playing in their respective next matches.
Julián Quiñones became the first Player born outside the country to score in a World Cup opening match. The Colombian-born striker plays for Mexico. In the end, it was Hwang In-beom’s performance that stole the show, as he became the first South Korean to both score and assist in the same World Cup match since 1994. FIFA World Cup 2026 is full of wonders; every day can be a new surprise..
