The 2026 World Cup began with a result for the hosts and a record for the referee. Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 at the Estadio Azteca on Thursday 11 June, in an opener defined as much by three dismissals as by the two goals.
A record set at the Azteca
Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio sent off three players in Mexico City, the most ever in a World Cup opening match. The previous mark was two, set when Cameroon had a pair of players dismissed in the 1990 opener against Argentina.
It was a striking tally for a single fixture. As ESPN noted, there had been three straight red cards across the 2018 and 2022 tournaments combined. The 2026 edition matched that in one night.
The expanded format gives the moment a wider stage. This is a 48-team World Cup of 104 matches, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, and running from 11 June to 19 July.
How the three dismissals unfolded
The first card came early in the second period. South Africa's Yaya Sithole was dismissed in the 50th minute for a foul on Bryan Gutiérrez near the edge of the box, reducing Bafana Bafana to ten men, Sky Sports reported.
The second was the most contested. In the 82nd minute, Sampaio reviewed footage on the pitchside monitor of a swipe by Themba Zwane that caught the face of Roberto Alvarado, then upgraded his decision to a red. South Africa were down to nine.
The third arrived in stoppage time. Mexico defender César Montes was sent off in the 90+2 minute for a challenge near the edge of the area, leaving the hosts to close out a fractious finish a man light themselves.
What the coach said
South Africa head coach Hugo Broos accepted the outcome but disputed the Zwane decision. "It was the Mexican player who was blocking my player," he said, "but I don't think [it was a red], it was too soft to give that as a red card," per ESPN.
Broos still deferred to the official. "It's the position of the referee, and we have to accept it also," he added. He framed the night as a setback rather than a verdict on his side's tournament.
There was a route forward in his words. "We still have a lot of players, so if we show the same mentality and play the same way as today, I'm sure we will have great results in the next two games," Broos said. South Africa's next two Group A fixtures will decide whether that holds.
A first for Mexico amid the chaos
Lost beneath the cards was a piece of history for the hosts. Julián Quiñones scored in the 9th minute and Raúl Jiménez headed in the second in the 67th, and the win was Mexico's first in a World Cup opener at the eighth attempt, beIN Sports reported.
Mexico had come into the night with five opening-match defeats and two draws, a run that included a 1-1 draw with then-hosts South Africa in 2010. Quiñones' early strike was the earliest goal Mexico have managed in a World Cup since Rafael Márquez scored in the sixth minute against Argentina in 2006.
For the co-hosts it was a clean start in a messy game. You can follow the group picture on our standings page, weigh in on the talking points in Sides, or back your call before the next round on predict.
Kickoff XI is an independent publication and is not affiliated with FIFA.
