FIFA World Cup 2026 — Group A | Mexico City Stadium | June 12, 2026
Julián Quiñones scored in the 9th minute and Raúl Jiménez added a second after the hour mark as Mexico beat South Africa 2–0 in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Mexico City Stadium on Thursday.
Match at a Glance
| Mexico 🇲🇽 | South Africa 🇿🇦 | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | Quiñones 9′, Jiménez 67′ | — |
| Red Cards | Montes 90+2′ | Zwane 84′ |
| Yellow Cards | 1 | Sithole 50′ |
| Shots | 16 | 4 |
| Shots on Target | 5 | 3 |
| Possession | 61% | 39% |
| Passes | 538 (91%) | 341 (83%) |
| Corners | 3 | 1 |
| Formation | 4-1-2-3 | 5-3-2 |
| Manager | Javier Aguirre | Hugo Broos |
Match Report
The crowd had barely settled when Quiñones broke the deadlock. Nine minutes. On home soil. The stadium had been roaring since the anthems — and now it had a reason.
South Africa arrived with a plan. Hugo Broos set up in a 5-3-2 built to absorb and frustrate, and for stretches of the first half, it worked well enough. Bafana Bafana kept shape, stayed compact, made Mexico circulate without reward. The problem was the scoreboard. Quiñones had already settled that.
Jiménez Puts It to Bed
Raúl Jiménez made it two in the 67th minute. The veteran striker — 33 years old, rated 7.2 on the night, the second-highest on either team — tucked it away and gave a nation hosting the World Cup for the first time in 40 years something to sing about. He was substituted shortly after, which seemed reasonable.
Mexico dominated every measurable category: 61% possession, 16 shots to South Africa’s 4, 538 passes completed at 91% accuracy. The game was not close.
Late Chaos, Red Cards All Round
The final half-hour turned chaotic. Teboho Zwane came on at the 60th minute and was dismissed by the 84th — straight red. Yusuf Sithole had already collected yellow at 50 minutes. South Africa, who needed a result, ended up needing an alibi.
Mexico’s César Montes was sent off in the second minute of stoppage time, which meant the referee blew for full-time with ten men facing nine.
Quiñones finished with the match’s highest rating at 7.8. Javier Aguirre allowed himself one look at the Group A table at full time: Mexico top, three points, goal difference plus two.
South Korea and Czechia hadn’t kicked off yet.
Group A Standings
| Pos | Team | MP | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico 🇲🇽 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | South Korea 🇰🇷 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Czechia 🇨🇿 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | South Africa 🇿🇦 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Lineups
Mexico (4-1-2-3): Rangel; I. Reyes, C. Montes, J. Vásquez, J. Gallardo; É. Lira; Á. Fidalgo, B. Gutiérrez; R. Alvarado, R. Jiménez, J. Quiñones
South Africa (5-3-2): R. Williams; A. Modiba, M. Mbonambi, N. Sibisi, I. Okon, K. Mudau; T. Mokoena, Y. Sithole, J. Adams; I. Rayners, L. Foster
FAQ
Q: Who scored for Mexico against South Africa in the World Cup 2026? A: Julián Quiñones scored in the 9th minute and Raúl Jiménez added the second goal in the 67th minute as Mexico won 2–0.
Q: What was the result of Mexico vs South Africa at World Cup 2026? A: Mexico won 2–0 with goals from Quiñones and Jiménez. The match was played at Mexico City Stadium on June 12, 2026, in Group A of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Q: Was anyone sent off in Mexico vs South Africa? A: Yes — three red cards in total. South Africa’s Teboho Zwane was dismissed in the 84th minute, and Mexico’s César Montes received a red card in the 90+2nd minute. Yusuf Sithole of South Africa had earlier collected a yellow card at 50 minutes.
