Mexico Beat South Africa 2-0, Captain Cesar Montes Gets Red Card as South Africa Bag Two Red Cards in Wild World Cup Opener

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off in astonishing fashion at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Thursday, with co-hosts Mexico edging South Africa 2-1 in a chaotic Group A opener that saw three red cards issued.

Julian Quinones opened the scoring for Mexico in the 9th minute, pouncing on a loose ball after Erik Lira won possession high up the pitch and firing a clinical shot between goalkeeper Ronwen Williams’ legs to score the first goal of the tournament.

The match descended into chaos early in the second half when South Africa’s Yaya Sithole was shown a straight red card in the 50th minute for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity after bringing down Mexico’s Brian Gutierrez as the last defender.

Mexico capitalised on their numerical advantage when Raul Jimenez scored in the 67th minute. The veteran striker rose highest to meet Roberto Alvarado’s cross, heading home to mark his first World Cup start with a goal and put Mexico 2-0 ahead.

South Africa pulled one goal back late in the match, setting up a tense finish despite being reduced to nine men. According to match reports, Themba Zwane was sent off after a VAR review for striking Alvarado in the face, compounding South Africa’s misery.

Then, in second-half stoppage time, Mexico captain Cesar Montes received a straight red card for a challenge on Khuliso Mudau, with Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio ruling it a denial of a goalscoring opportunity.

The decision drew mixed reactions from pundits. Fox analyst Landon Donovan said on the broadcast, “That’s a harsh red card.” However, referee analyst Mark Clattenburg agreed with the decision.

Despite finishing the match with ten men, Mexico secured a vital 2-1 victory to top Group A, though captain Montes will serve a suspension for their next encounter.

South Africa, appearing in their first World Cup since hosting in 2010, now face an uphill battle with key suspensions looming after their two red cards.