After four long years, the World Cup is finally back. Its opening game may not have featured any of the teams predicted for the win, but it was still a match that provided something that had never been seen before. For the first time in the history of the tournament, three red cards were shown in the first game. That, together with the two goals and the packed stadium, made it a memorable start to one of the most-awaited sporting events of 2026.
With Mexico serving as one of the hosts for the 2026 World Cup, it was only natural that its opening game was held in Mexico City. Those who eagerly looked forward to the goal that would officially open the tournament didn’t have to wait long, as the home heroes, through the shot of Julián Quiñones, scored after just nine minutes. Despite the advantage, Mexico continued to push their opponents. By the time a little over half an hour had passed, they managed six attempts on target, a stark comparison to South Africa’s zero.
Although the hosts noted some promising chances towards the end of the first half, ultimately the score remained unchanged. Soon after the players returned to the field, Yaya Sithole, who had already been playing a rather underwhelming game, got penalised for a situation-breaking foul. After he got sent off the field, Mexico resumed the game with a well-placed free kick, which they could not convert into a goal. A chance wasted can, however, turn into a chance postponed, and that was the case for the host team, as they increased their lead in the 67th minute. This time, it was Raúl Jiménez who held the glory of scoring in the opening game.
No more changes were made to the score, but that does not mean that nothing has happened on the field. In the 84th minute, South Africa went from ten to nine players on the field, after a VAR check led to a red card being given to Themba Zwane. As if sensing that the power balance was now severely disrupted, Mexico soon earned a red of their own. Two minutes after the start of the added time, César Montes was sent off the field for a denial of a goal-scoring opportunity. Thus, a new record was born.
The opening game was not the only match played on June 11th. A couple of hours after the final whistle, a meeting was held between two other members of Group A: South Korea and Czechia. It didn’t truly open until after the first quarter of the second half had passed. It was then that Ladislav Krejčí opened the score for Czechia. Korea didn’t stay behind for long. In just the 67th minute, Hwang In-beom equalised the score, and not long after, Oh Hyeon-gyu made it 2:1 for his team.
Thus, the order of Group A was set. Thanks to their marginally better goal difference, Mexico had found themselves at the very top, followed by South Korea. Czechia placed third, and South Africa took the disappointing last spot.
The opening games were only a prelude to the 100+ remaining matches. While it is hard to immediately think about all of them, for now, the attention of fans should move towards those set to be played by the other two hosts of the tournament. Soon, Canada will face Bosnia and Herzegovina, and not long after, the USA will take on Paraguay. Then, a weekend of great football awaits all those who care to watch it.
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