The 2026 FIFA World Cup opened with a match that will be talked about for years — not just for the goals, but for a level of chaos that broke World Cup records before the tournament was even 24 hours old.
Mexico 2-0 South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Three red cards. The most dismissals in any World Cup opening match in history. And a historic return to the Azteca for the third World Cup it has hosted.
Here is the full story — and why Korean fans should be paying close attention to what happened.
The Opening Ceremony
Before a ball was kicked, Shakira, Andrea Bocelli, Maná, and J Balvin lit up the opening ceremony at the Azteca. Shakira performed "Dai Dai" — the official tournament anthem with Burna Boy — in her fourth performance at a World Cup opening ceremony. Mexican-American songwriter Lila Downs welcomed fans in Spanish, English, and indigenous languages Mixtec and Nahuatl.
It was a statement of ambition from the tournament's co-hosts — and a reminder that this is the biggest World Cup in history.
The Match — Mexico 2-0 South Africa
The goals:
Julián Quiñones opened the scoring in the ninth minute. Raúl Jiménez added a second in the second half — a wonderful moment for the striker who finally opened his World Cup scoring account in his fourth tournament.
It was Mexico's eighth time playing in the opening match of a World Cup and their first win in an opener, having previously lost five and drawn two — including against then-host South Africa at the 2010 World Cup.
The red cards — three of them:
Three red cards were shown in total — two to South Africa and one to Mexico. South Africa joined Cameroon in 1990 as the only nations to have multiple players receive red cards in a World Cup opener.
Mexico captain César Montes received a straight red card for a hard tackle on South Africa right back Khuliso Mudau. It was the first World Cup game since the infamous "Battle of Nuremberg" in 2006 — Portugal vs Netherlands in the Round of 16 — to see three or more red cards.
At 17 years and 240 days, substitute Gilberto Mora became the youngest player to appear in a World Cup opening match.
Historic venue: The Azteca became the first stadium to host three World Cups — 1970, 1986, and now 2026.
Why This Matters for Korean Fans
Korea's next match is June 19 — against Mexico. The same Mexico team that just won 2-0 with a disciplined attacking display.
But Mexico finished that match with 10 men after captain César Montes received a red card. He will be suspended for the Mexico vs Korea match on June 19. That is a significant absence — Montes is Mexico's starting centre-back and captain.
Mexico vs South Korea is considered the toughest match in Mexico's group. It will be played in Guadalajara. With Montes suspended, Korea has a genuine opportunity.
Korea's Group D Standing After Day 1
| Team | Played | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Korea Republic | 1 | 3 |
| Mexico | 1 | 3 |
| Czech Republic | 1 | 0 |
| South Africa | 1 | 0 |
Both Korea and Mexico sit on 3 points. Their June 19 match is effectively a group decider — the winner almost certainly advances.
The CHZZK Angle — Save the Azteca Opening Before It Disappears
The Mexico vs South Africa opening match is streaming on CHZZK behind the Naver Plus paywall. But the highlight clips — Quiñones' opener, Jiménez's emotional second, all three red cards — are appearing as short clips on CHZZK's sports section.
These clips disappear fast. Vodloader downloads CHZZK clips directly. Paste the URL, download the clip, keep it permanently.