Sports

Mexico beat South Africa in World Cup opener: Was ref right to show three red cards? Who is Julian Quinones?

The Athletic has live coverage of South Korea vs Czech Republic in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Mexico outclassed South Africa in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup in Mexico City, winning 2-0 as three players were sent off in a chaotic start to the tournament.

To put that in perspective, at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, there were only four red cards across the whole tournament.

Julián Quiñones opened the scoring in the ninth minute for the co-hosts with a shot through the legs of the South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, and Raúl Jiménez, who nearly six years ago fractured his skull while playing in the Premier League, increased Mexico’s lead in the 67th minute.

South Africa midfielder Sphephelo Sithole became the first player to be sent off in the opening game since Bolivia’s Marco Etcheverry against Germany at the 1994 World Cup when he was dismissed shortly after half-time. Then in the 84th minute his team-mate Themba Zwane was also sent off after clashing with a Mexico player.

Mexico had a player sent off, too, as captain Cesar Montes was shown red for bringing down Khuliso Mudau in the final stages.

Jack Lang, Felipe Cardenas, Jay Harris, Graham Scott, and Anantaajith Raghuraman analyze the action…

Did South Africa deserve their two red cards?

Here’s the view from The Athletic’s expert Graham Scott, a former Premier League referee.

Sithole had to be sent off for denying Brian Gutiérrez an obvious goalscoring opportunity. There was no intent from Sithole, who was trying to put pressure on the Mexican striker and get into a position to challenge for the ball fairly.

But he got too close, became entangled with his opponent, and brought him down. The consequence was clear — without the tackle, Gutiérrez would have had a clear shot at goal.

Sphephelo Sithole brings down Brian Gutiérrez. (Luke Hales / Getty Images)

The Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio would not have given any thought to allowing Sithole to escape with a caution, and even if he had, the video assistant would doubtless have intervened.

The stark difference between the FIFA interpretation of violent conduct and what players are allowed to get away with in the Premier League was highlighted by the dismissal of South Africa’s Zwane later in the game.

Trying to break away from a challenge, he caught Roberto Alvarado on the side of the face. Zwane’s hand appeared to be open, so it was not a punch, and there was no great force. The contact would be considered trivial in England, and a yellow card, at most, might be produced.

Any video assistant referee in the Premier League would have checked the replays as a matter of course, but I cannot recall any similar incident in recent years that would have led to the ref being sent to the pitchside monitor.

Players who ply their trade in England and have become accustomed to the rough and tumble of the Premier League should take note: Even relatively minor contact with an opponent’s head or face is likely to lead to a red card.

The third red card of the World Cup opener might also be considered harsh, but I can understand Sampaio’s decision. It was the best outcome.

South African striker Mudau was moving in the general direction of the goal, and without Montes’ cynical foul, would have been lining up a shot, unchallenged.

The principal consideration is what would have happened next — and in this case, the South African would have had a great chance to score.

Another incredible chapter in Raúl Jiménez’s comeback story

As he wheeled away, sprinting to the corner and into his wildest dreams, the tears appeared in his eyes. A World Cup goal always means something. A World Cup goal in front of 80,000-odd of your compatriots is more special still.

For Jiménez, though, there were added layers here, resonances that go beyond this tournament, these fans. This was the culmination of an extraordinary personal journey, a comeback story told twice.

Nearly six years ago, Jiménez fractured his skull playing for Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers. The injury cut him down in the prime of his career, but that was only the half of it: it could have been the end of his life. “It is a miracle to be here with you,” he said during his slow, painful recovery.

Jiménez came back, got fit, then broke down again. He played through the pain for years. One night, shortly before the 2022 World Cup, he woke up in the middle of the night and found it difficult to walk.

The forward played at that tournament but did not score. In the run-up to this World Cup, the doubts over his continued relevance at this level grew. Some Mexicans would have preferred Javier Aguirre to start with Quiñones through the middle. Others favored Armando Gonzalez.

Jiménez, though, has always had Aguirre’s trust. He may no longer be the best player on this team but he is its beating heart. He represents Mexican grit and determination. Here, after treading a path that would have made plenty of people give up, he got the reward for his perseverance.

Jack Lang

Jimenez celebrates scoring Mexico’s second goal against South Africa (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Mexico hero who outscored Cristiano Ronaldo last season

Julian Quiñones will go down in history after scoring the first goal of the 2026 World Cup but it would not have come as a surprise to anybody who has followed his career over the last few years.

Quiñones was born in Colombia and represented their under-20s but never played for the senior side. The winger spent nearly a decade playing for four Liga MX sides and then, in November 2023, switched his international allegiance to represent Mexico.

Two years ago, he moved to Saudi Arabian side Al Qadsiah and his stock has gone through the roof since then. Quiñones scored 20 goals in his debut season and took it to another level in the 2025-26 campaign. The 29-year-old finished as the competition’s top scorer with 33 goals ahead of England’s Ivan Toney (32), Cristiano Ronaldo (28), Joao Felix (20) and Karim Benzema (17).

Quiñones’ powerful strike in the ninth minute was too much for Williams to handle but Érik Lira deserves a lot of credit for his role in the build-up.

Quiñones celebrates scoring the decisive goal in Mexico’s win against South Africa. (Hector Vivas / FIFA via Getty Images)

Lira pounced on a heavy touch from Sithole to set up his team-mate. Quiñones was brimming with confidence after that and drifted over to the right wing to pick up the ball before flashing a ferocious long-range effort just over the bar.

There was a silky reverse pass to the overlapping Jesús Gallardo, who should have produced a better cross, and an effort just before half-time that hit the post. He then tried to lob Williams from just inside South Africa’s half but the goalkeeper recovered in time.

MEXICO’S MOMENT 🇲🇽

More angles of Quiñones’ opening goal of the FIFA World Cup pic.twitter.com/nfcy5zMlHu

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 11, 2026

GOAL FOR MEXICO 🇲🇽

Julian Quinones scores the first goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup! pic.twitter.com/u2r2qQnVA6

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 11, 2026

Pretty much all of the attention during the build-up to this tournament has been on Mexico’s prodigy Gilberto Mora and veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa but Quiñones has announced himself as one to watch.

Jay Harris

Why did South Africa keep trying ‘the most dangerous pass in football’?

Nerves can impact any player at the biggest stage, even a 34-year-old goalkeeper and captain making his 63rd appearance for his country.

Williams was partly responsible for Quiñones’ opener, passing to Sithole with three Mexican players in the vicinity to press. The midfielder, who was later sent off, was partly responsible too, taking a poor touch that invited pressure.

The pass, by its nature, has always been a risky proposition, as explained by The Athletic’s Stuart James in 2024.

It can often prove useful for teams to evade the first line of pressure and force opponents to retreat — but in this particular case, it had very limited upside. Backed by a boisterous home crowd, Mexico were waiting for opportunities to pounce.

Williams did not cover himself in glory with his attempt to stop the shot too, letting it burst through his legs, albeit he had limited time to react.

In the second half, he dawdled on the ball for too long, once again inviting pressure. Fortunately, Gutiérrez took the long way around and his cutback was blocked and cleared.

(Jose Breton / Pics Action / NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Before and after those two incidents, Williams had some good moments. He made two good saves in the first half from a Jiménez shot and a curling ball into the box. Mexico’s inability to convert possession to chances — until Jiménez’s goal, which he had no chance of saving — meant he wasn’t disturbed too much even after the red card.

For South Africa to bounce back, though, they will need more calmness and no errors from their captain.

Anantaajith Raghuraman

What was the opening ceremony like?

It wasn’t spectacular but the pre-match ceremony was an entertaining show that the crowd loved. It was a lot like the 2022 Super Bowl half-time show that featured several artists on one stage.

Mexican pop-rock band Maná, beloved performers in their country, opened the show with their 1990s hit ‘Oye Mi Amor’ that had the stadium bouncing.

Colombian rapper JBalvin followed as the appetizer to the main attraction, superstar Shakira. Before she rocked the crowd, she gave an impassioned speech about how the World Cup can inspire unity around the globe.

(Rodrigo Oropeza / AFP via Getty Images)

The FIFA president Gianni Infantino waved the World Cup around for a bit with the Mexican actress Salma Hayek by his side, and the players then marched out to the applause of the Azteca.

In a new twist for this tournament, all 26 members of the Mexico and South Africa squads made their way out onto the field (rather than just the starting players), forming a ring around the centre circle before the national anthems.

Felipe Cardenas