The 2026 FIFA World Cup got underway in dramatic fashion Thursday at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, as three players were sent off in a chaotic opening match between Mexico and South Africa.
While co-host Mexico secured a 2-0 victory in front of more than 80,000 fans, the match will likely be remembered for its disciplinary issues. The three red cards handed out were the most ever shown in a World Cup opening match.
The first major turning point came early in the second half when South Africa’s Sphephelo Sithole received a straight red card after bringing down Brian GutiĆ©rrez as he broke in on goal. Reduced to 10 men, South Africa struggled to regain momentum.
Things went from bad to worse later in the match when South Africa’s Themba Zwane was also shown red following a VAR review that determined he struck Roberto Alvarado in the face. It marked the first time since the infamous Portugal-Netherlands clash in 2006 that a team received two red cards in a single World Cup match.
Even Mexico was not immune from the referee’s whistle. Deep into stoppage time, CĆ©sar Montes was sent off, bringing the total number of dismissals to three and capping off a heated and physical contest.
Lost somewhat in the chaos was Mexico’s strong start to the tournament. JuliĆ”n QuiƱones opened the scoring less than nine minutes into the match before veteran striker RaĆŗl JimĆ©nez added a second-half goal to seal the win.
The historic match also marked another milestone for Estadio Azteca, which became the first stadium ever to host matches at three different FIFA World Cups.
