Mexico began their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a confident 2–0 victory over South Africa in the tournament’s opening match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Playing in front of a passionate home crowd, the hosts controlled much of the game and made their dominance count with goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez.
South Africa showed determination and defensive resilience, with goalkeeper Ronwen Williams making several important saves to keep his side in the contest. However, Mexico’s attacking quality eventually proved too strong as they secured all three points in Group A.
Despite the defeat, South Africa displayed moments of promise and will look to bounce back in their remaining group matches. Mexico, meanwhile, made an ideal start to the tournament and boosted their chances of advancing to the knockout stages.
