Mexico began its home World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over South Africa in a heated opening match at the Estadio Azteca, setting the tone for the tournament in front of a vocal home crowd.
Goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez ensured the hosts claimed all three points, although the contest was overshadowed by three red cards in a tense and often scrappy encounter.
Quiñones struck early to give Mexico control, while Jiménez added a second midway through the second half, converting a header to ease the pressure on Javier Aguirre’s side.
Despite the victory, Mexico’s manager was far from satisfied with the overall performance.
“This was a 4-0 match, we didn’t play good enough, but people are happy,” Javier Aguirre said. “It’s the start of the World Cup. We’ve put the nerves behind us and now we have three points.”
The match quickly lost its rhythm as disciplinary issues took centre stage.
South Africa were reduced to ten men early in the second half when Sphephelo Sithole was sent off for a challenge from behind, before teammate Themba Zwane was also dismissed following a VAR review.
Mexico finished the match with ten players as César Montes was shown a red card in the closing moments.
While the atmosphere inside the Azteca remained celebratory, the string of dismissals disrupted the flow of the match and overshadowed what had been a dominant display from the hosts.
The result gives Mexico an early advantage in Group A, where they aim to progress with confidence as one of the tournament's co-hosts.
Backed by more than 80,000 supporters, the team made a fast start, pressing South Africa high and creating chances from the opening minutes.
The opening goal came after a defensive error, with Erik Lira winning possession and setting up Quiñones, who finished calmly.
Mexico continued to control proceedings, although they were slow to extend their lead until Jiménez’s well-placed header secured the win.
In the group’s other match, South Korea joined Mexico on three points with a 2 to 1 win over the Czech Republic in Zapopan.
After Ladislav Krejci gave the Czech side the lead early in the second half, South Korea responded through Hwang In-beom before Oh Hyeon-gyu netted the winner in the 80th minute.
Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu made several key saves late on to preserve the result, ensuring South Korea remained level with Mexico at the top of the standings.
With both Mexico and South Korea securing victories, the early picture in Group A suggests a competitive race for qualification.
The Czech Republic, playing in their first World Cup in two decades, now face early pressure, while South Africa will look to recover in their next match.
Mexico, meanwhile, will take confidence from their opening result but know that performances will need to improve as the tournament progresses.
For now, the hosts have delivered the outcome their supporters demanded, even if the performance left room for improvement.
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