🇲🇽 Mexico 2 – 0 Full time 🇿🇦 South Africa
Estadio Banorte (Azteca) · Mexico City Mexico v South Africa: World Cup Opener Live from the Azteca
Live build-up, opening-ceremony coverage and minute-by-minute from Estadio Azteca as the 2026 World Cup kicks off with co-hosts Mexico against South Africa.
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Full time: Mexico 2-0 South Africa
It is over at the Azteca. Mexico win the 2026 World Cup opener 2-0, a deserved victory built on Julián Quiñones' early strike and Raúl Jiménez's second-half header. The lasting image, though, is the discipline: three red cards, two for South Africa (Sithole on 49, Zwane on 83) and a stoppage-time dismissal for Mexico captain César Montes. The hosts are up and running. Thanks for following our live coverage.
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Red card for the Mexico captain (90+)
A chaotic finish. Mexico are reduced to ten in second-half stoppage time as captain César Montes (3) is shown red. The hosts will close out the opener with ten against nine, still 2-0 up.
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Second red for South Africa (83')
Down to nine. After a VAR review, Themba Zwane (11) is sent off in the 83rd minute for a strike to the face in an off-the-ball tussle. South Africa, already a man light, must see out the closing stages with nine against Mexico's 2-0 lead.
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Mexico change: Vega on (78')
One more for Mexico in the 78th minute: Alexis Vega (10) comes on for Julián Quiñones (16). Aguirre rotating his front line with the game won at 2-0.
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Quadruple change (76')
A flurry of substitutions on 76 minutes. South Africa freshen up with Oswin Appollis (7) on for Aubrey Modiba (6) and Evidence Makgopa (17) on for Iqraam Rayners (15). Mexico answer by sending on Edson Álvarez (4) for Erik Lira (6), while goalscorer Raúl Jiménez (9) makes way for Armando González (14).
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Yellow card: Sibisi (73')
Nkosinathi Sibisi, number 19, is booked for South Africa in the 73rd minute. Mexico lead 2-0 against the ten men.
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Cooling break (68')
Straight after the goal, a three-minute cooling break in the Mexico City heat. A breather for the ten men of South Africa, but the game is getting away from them at 2-0 down.
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GOAL! Mexico 2-0 (Jiménez, 67')
Two-nil, and surely game over. Raúl Jiménez, number 9, rises highest to head home from a cross in the 67th minute, doubling Mexico's lead against the ten men of South Africa. Mexico 2, South Africa 0.
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Mexico make a double change (65')
Mexico's first changes, a double switch around the 65th minute: Bryan Gutiérrez (26) and Álvaro Fidalgo (8) come off for Luis Chávez (24) and Gilberto Mora (19). The hosts keep things ticking over with the extra man, 1-0 ahead.
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Another South Africa switch (62')
A second change for South Africa: Jayden Adams, number 23, off for Themba Zwane, number 11, in the 62nd minute as Hugo Broos looks for a spark with ten men. Mexico lead 1-0.
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South Africa change (56')
Down to ten men, South Africa make a change: Lyle Foster, number 9, makes way for Thalente Mbatha, number 5, in the 56th minute. Mexico still lead 1-0.
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RED CARD! South Africa down to 10 (49')
Disaster for South Africa. Sphephelo Sithole, number 13, is sent off in the 49th minute for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, hauling down a Mexico attacker who was through on goal. Mexico have a free kick in a dangerous spot just outside the box, and now a one-man advantage. Still 1-0.
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Second half under way
We are back at the Azteca for the second half. Mexico lead South Africa 1-0 and will look to make their dominance count, while South Africa need a way back into the game. Forty-five minutes to go.
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Half-time stats: Mexico on top
The numbers underline Mexico's control: 10 shots to 2 (2 on target to 1), 274 passes to 203, and a 2-1 edge in corners. Bookings are even at a yellow card each, with fouls close (Mexico 5, South Africa 6). For all that pressure the score is only 1-0, and Ronwen Williams is a big reason why.
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Half-time: Mexico 1-0 South Africa
The whistle goes for the break. Mexico lead through Julián Quiñones' early goal, though they will feel it should be more after Ronwen Williams kept South Africa in it with a string of saves. Forty-five minutes to play.
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Four minutes added
The fourth official signals four minutes of added time at the end of the first half. Mexico lead South Africa 1-0.
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Williams keeps them in it
Another outstanding save from Ronwen Williams. The South Africa captain again denies Mexico and keeps his side within touching distance at 1-0.
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Cooling break (25')
A water break around the 25th minute, with play paused so the players can rehydrate in the Mexico City heat. Mexico still lead South Africa 1-0.
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Yellow card: Gutiérrez (23')
Bryan Gutiérrez, number 26, is booked for Mexico in the 23rd minute. Still Mexico 1-0.
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Yellow card: Mokoena (17')
Teboho Mokoena, number 4, goes into the book for South Africa in the 17th minute. Mexico still lead 1-0.
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GOAL! Mexico 1-0 (Quiñones, 9')
Mexico strike first. Julián Quiñones, number 16, finishes to put the co-hosts ahead in the 9th minute and the Azteca erupts. Mexico 1, South Africa 0.
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Big chance, Williams saves
A golden opening for Mexico, but Ronwen Williams stands tall and pulls off a fine save to keep South Africa level. Bright early signs from the hosts.
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Kick-off!
We are under way at the Estadio Azteca. The 2026 World Cup is officially on, Mexico against South Africa to get it started. Follow every goal, card and substitution here.
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Lineups are in
The starting XIs are confirmed. Mexico line up in a 4-3-3 with César Montes as captain; South Africa go 5-3-2 with goalkeeper Ronwen Williams wearing the armband. The full XIs, benches and managers are below.
Jump to the lineups - comment #
What our model says
Our AI predictor makes Mexico clear favourites for the opener: about a 63% chance of victory to South Africa's 15%, with a draw at 22%, and a most-likely scoreline of 1-0 to Mexico. Group A also features South Korea and Czechia, so a positive start matters for the table.
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Bafana Bafana back on the big stage
Hugo Broos's South Africa are at their first World Cup since they hosted the tournament in 2010. They arrive as Group A underdogs against the co-hosts, but with the belief of a side that came through African qualifying.
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Aguirre's Mexico carry a nation
Javier Aguirre's side open as co-hosts with the weight of expectation on them. Both of Mexico's World Cup quarter-final runs, in 1970 and 1986, came at this very ground, and a fast start in front of their own fans is the obvious aim.
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Opening ceremony before a ball is kicked
Gates opened at 9am and the opening ceremony is set to begin around 11am, built around papel picado, the traditional Mexican paper craft. Shakira headlines, performing the official tournament song "Dai Dai" with Burna Boy, alongside Mexican acts and international names before the teams emerge.
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A third opening act for a famous old ground
With this match the Azteca becomes the first stadium to stage the opening game of three different World Cups, after 1970 and 1986. A crowd of around 87,000 is expected for the curtain-raiser.
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Welcome to the Azteca
The 2026 World Cup is here. Co-hosts Mexico open the tournament against South Africa at the Estadio Azteca, with kickoff at 1pm local time in Mexico City (19:00 UTC). We will take you through the build-up, the opening ceremony and every minute once the ball rolls.
Match events
- 9' ⚽ Julián Quiñones
- 17' 🟨 Teboho Mokoena
- 23' 🟨 Bryan Gutiérrez
- 49' 🟥 Sphephelo Sithole
- 56' ↔️ Lyle Foster→ Thalente Mbatha
- 62' ↔️ Jayden Adams→ Themba Zwane
- 65' ↔️ Bryan Gutiérrez→ Luis Chávez
- 65' ↔️ Álvaro Fidalgo→ Gilberto Mora
- 67' ⚽ Raúl Jiménez
- 73' 🟨 Nkosinathi Sibisi
- 76' ↔️ Aubrey Modiba→ Oswin Appollis
- 76' ↔️ Iqraam Rayners→ Evidence Makgopa
- 76' ↔️ Erik Lira→ Edson Álvarez
- 76' ↔️ Raúl Jiménez→ Armando González
- 78' ↔️ Julián Quiñones→ Alexis Vega
- 83' 🟥 Themba Zwane
- 90' 🟥 César Montes
Squad
Lineup
Mexico
4-3-3- 1 Raúl Rangel
- 3 César Montes (C)
- 5 Johan Vásquez
- 15 Israel Reyes
- 23 Jesús Gallardo
- 6 Erik Lira
- 8 Álvaro Fidalgo
- 26 Bryan Gutiérrez
- 9 Raúl Jiménez
- 16 Julián Quiñones
- 25 Roberto Alvarado
- 13 Guillermo Ochoa
- 12 Carlos Acevedo
- 2 Jorge Sánchez
- 4 Edson Álvarez
- 20 Mateo Chávez
- 7 Luis Romo
- 17 Orbelín Pineda
- 18 Obed Vargas
- 19 Gilberto Mora
- 24 Luis Chávez
- 10 Alexis Vega
- 11 Santiago Giménez
- 14 Armando González
- 21 César Huerta
- 22 Guillermo Martínez
Manager · Javier Aguirre
South Africa
5-3-2- 1 Ronwen Williams (C)
- 6 Aubrey Modiba
- 14 Mbekezeli Mbokazi
- 19 Nkosinathi Sibisi
- 20 Khuliso Mudau
- 21 Ime Okon
- 4 Teboho Mokoena
- 13 Sphephelo Sithole
- 23 Jayden Adams
- 9 Lyle Foster
- 15 Iqraam Rayners
- 16 Sipho Chaine
- 22 Ricardo Goss
- 2 Thabang Matuludi
- 3 Khulumani Ndamane
- 18 Samukele Kabini
- 24 Olwethu Makhanya
- 26 Bradley Cross
- 5 Thalente Mbatha
- 11 Themba Zwane
- 7 Oswin Appollis
- 8 Tshepang Moremi
- 10 Relebohile Mofokeng
- 12 Thapelo Maseko
- 17 Evidence Makgopa
- 25 Kamogelo Sebelebele
Manager · Hugo Broos