Mexico defeats nine-man South Africa in World Cup opener
‘El Tri’ opened the World Cup with a convincing victory over a poor South Africa.
Sixteen years later, Mexico finally settled the score for the wounds inflicted by Tshabalala and Soccer City, though there was still a bittersweet aftertaste, just as there had been that day. It could have been more, but it never should have been less. Few national teams have a greater tendency to disappoint than El Tri. Until the closing minutes, Mexico knew how to control the game and knew how to weather the storm, exactly as its history would suggest. The 2026 World Cup delivered justice for Raúl Jiménez, turned Julián Quiñones into a national hero by adoption and acclaim, and crowned Gilberto Mora as the new idol embraced by the masses following Hirving Lozano’s departure. Above all, it was a match 40 years in the making. A smile the country desperately needed.
Mexico start the World Cup strong
El Tri reveled in the opening stages, carried by a magnificent, vibrant Estadio CDMX, steeped in the atmosphere of the great matchdays of years gone by. The legendary ones. Those of 1970. Those of 1986. The ones that remain in the memory despite everything. Pass after pass. Fidalgo operating between the lines, Raúl Jiménez as a false nine. Mexico delighted in it all until the ball reached the tireless Reyes on the byline. The Wolf of Tepeji, with a clean and elegant right-footed strike, welcomed Williams to the match and introduced him to the full force of the stadium. The roar of 80,000 souls.
The Bafana Bafana were quickly overwhelmed. Lira sensed it, dispossessing Sithole as he tried to play out from the back. The ball fell to Julián Quiñones, who shifted into another gear, drove toward the center and beat Williams with a thunderbolt that slipped between the goalkeeper’s legs. And then came the roar of the Mexican fans. Revenge for Johannesburg and Tshabalala. Memories of Fernando Quirarte. A thousand worries vanishing into the night. A unifying, healing cry. Ay, ay, ay, canta y no llores (Ay, ay, ay, sing and don’t cry.) A goal 40 years in the making.
Calm after, and before, the storm
Not much happened after that. Mexico settled into the comfort of having broken the tension. Quiñones, his nerves now gone, sent one effort well off target. He also tried to pick out the top corner beyond Williams. Brian struggled to match the pace of the game and found himself in the referee’s notebook. The new, obligatory, hydration break, with the temperature at 75ºF and without any humidity to speak of, pushed soccer a little farther away from its aura of uninterrupted beauty. Mexico was content to sit on its lead. There was no reason to force the issue.
Ironically, South Africa found a second wind after the drinks (advert) break. Adams and Mokoena began venturing forward and El Tri soon found itself operating closer and closer to goalkeeper Rangel. The Azteca has this too: the murmur, the uneasy hum, the feeling that some catastrophe might be lurking around the corner.
Then Fidalgo, who sees everything and thinks through everything, who anticipates everything with a genius’ calm, delicately chipped a ball into space. Jiménez, stretching to the very limits of his flexibility, could not quite reach the sweet reward waiting for him. Williams flew across goal to prevent further damage, though he already had plenty on his hands. Moments later, Quiñones aimed for the bottom-right corner with the precision and cruelty of a billiards player, but the post sent hope ricocheting away.
The opening chapter ended with a wayward swipe from Brian Gutiérrez, as nervous as he was erratic and eager. A perfect summary of El Tri itself.
The tears of Raúl Jiménez
Back on the field, Williams spilled the ball to Alvarado, who surged forward with it seemingly tied to his feet while Sithole was left eating grass. The Betis playmaker lost a second, an unforgivable mistake for a virtuoso. Brian’s final effort ended up somewhere near Frida Kahlo’s Blue House, not far from here.
But Mexico had found their rhythm once again.
A beautifully weighted pass into space from Lira, reminiscent of Maradona’s famous ball to Burruchaga in 1986, sent Brian racing in on Williams. Sithole ran for his life before crashing into Chicago’s prodigal son. Their legs became entangled in a chaotic and fatal collision. Jiménez’s shot came to nothing, but Sithole was already on his way to test out Santa Úrsula’s new showers.
Foster ran out of gas and South Africa lost its edge, while El Tri relentlessly attacked down Okon’s side. Quiñones, Reyes and Fidalgo repeatedly drifted wide and found acres of space. Space in which to create something.
Two minutes of pure joy in Mexico City
The stadium of the Aztec gods paid tribute to Mora, the 17-year-old emerald. The hope of a nation. Behind the face of a boy who caresses the ball like the most seasoned veteran. The true and rejuvenated Golden Boy. Alvarado fed off the sudden euphoria. Cutting in from the right, he delivered the ball and Jiménez, like Quirarte against Hugo Broos’ Belgium in 1986, attacked the same blessed near post. But he did not steer the header across goal. He buried it right under Williams’ nose.
The raindrops that accompanied the celebration did not feel accidental. Raúl’s tears blended with the downpour until it became impossible to tell one from the other. Sing, Raúl. As the song says, hearts are happier when you sing.
The whole of Mexico was now wating for a third goal. What arrived instead was the mishap. A genuine tehuacanazo - a rude, painful jolt back to reality.
Montes joined Zwane in exile after catching Mudau. A late and clumsy stamp near the edge of the penalty area guarded by the otherwise untroubled Rangel.
The opening night ended with fists raised in triumph, but also with that distinctly Mexican feeling that something remains unfinished.
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- 1 Raúl Rangel
- 23 Jesús Gallardo
- 5 Johan Vásquez
- 3 César Montes
- 15 Israel Reyes
- 26 Brian Gutierrez (65')
- 8 Fidalgo (65')
- 25 Roberto Alvarado
- 6 Erik Lira (75')
- 16 Julián Quiñones (78')
- 9 Raúl Jiménez (75')
- Substitutes
- 4 Edson Álvarez (75')
- 24 Luis Chavez (65')
- 7 Luis Romo
- 19 Gilberto Mora (65')
- 18 Obed Vargas
- 12 Carlos Acevedo
- 17 Orbelín Pineda
- 13 Ochoa
- 22 Guillermo Martinez
- 14 Armando González (75')
- 20 Mateo Chávez
- 2 Jorge Sánchez
- 11 Santiago Giménez
- 10 Ernesto Vega (78')SC
- 21 César Huerta
- 1 Ronwen Williams
- 20 Khuliso Mudau
- 21 Ime Okon
- 19 Nkosinathi Sibisi
- 6 Aubrey Modiba (76')
- 14 Mbekezeli Mbokazi -
- 4 Teboho Mokoena
- 23 Jayden Adams (60')
- 13 Yaya Sithole -
- 15 Iqraam Rayners (76')-
- 9 Lyle Foster (55')
- Substitutes
- 24 Olwethu Makhanya
- 2 Thabang Matuludi
- 5 Thalente Mbatha (55')
- 12 Thapelo Maseko
- 8 Tshepang Moremi
- 18 Samukele Kabini
- 22 Ricardo Goss
- 25 Kamogelo Sebelebele
- 11 Themba Zwane (60')-
- 26 Bradley Cross
- 3 Khulumani Ndamane
- 17 Evidence Makgopa (76')SC
- 16 Sipho Chaine
- 10 Relebohile Mofokeng
- 7 Oswin Appollis (76')SC
Substitutions
Thalente Mbatha (55', Lyle Foster), Themba Zwane (60', Jayden Adams), Luis Chávez (65', Brian Gutiérrez), Gilberto Mora (65', Álvaro Fidalgo), Edson Álvarez (75', Érik Lira), Armando González (75', Raúl Jiménez), Evidence Makgopa (76', Iqraam Rayners), Oswin Appollis (76', Aubrey Modiba), Alexis Vega (78', Julián Quiñones)
Goals
1-0, 8': Julián Quiñones, 2-0, 66': Raúl Jiménez
Cards
Referee: Wilton Pereira Sampaio
VAR Referee: Nicolás Gallo Barragán, Juan Lara
Teboho Mokoena (16',Yellow), Brian Gutierrez (22',Yellow), Yaya Sithole (49',Red), Nkosinathi Sibisi (73',Yellow), Themba Zwane (83',Red), César Montes (91',Red)
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