Jimenez and Quinones net as Mexico beat South Africa in World Cup opener
Key takeaways
- World Cup 2026 cohosts Mexico open the tournament with 2-0 win against South Africa, who were reduced to nine men.
- Julian Quinones scored the opening goal of the tournament in Thursday’s match, and veteran striker Raul Jimenez added a second as the cohosts’ bid for qualification from Group A got off to a smooth start.
- South Africa, meanwhile, never looked like spoiling the opening day fiesta, and finished with only nine men after Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
World Cup 2026 cohosts Mexico open the tournament with 2-0 win against South Africa, who were reduced to nine men.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Mexico's Raul Jimenez celebrates scoring their second goal against South Africa [Pawel Kopczynski/Reuters]By AFPPublished On 11 Jun 202611 Jun 2026Mexico ignited their World Cup party with a dominant 2-0 victory over nine-man South Africa as the biggest edition of the global footballing showpiece kicked off at the iconic Estadio Azteca.
Julian Quinones scored the opening goal of the tournament in Thursday’s match, and veteran striker Raul Jimenez added a second as the cohosts’ bid for qualification from Group A got off to a smooth start.