Mexico scored twice in the tournament opener. Julián Quiñones broke the deadlock in the ninth minute after Yaya Sithole's poor pass, and Raúl Jiménez doubled the lead with his first World Cup goal—an emotional moment for the striker who recovered from a serious head injury in 2020.
Three red cards shaped the match. Sithole was sent off in the second half for fouling Bryan Gutierrez through on goal. South Africa substitute Thembo Zwane received a straight red for striking Alvarado in the face, with VAR confirming the incident. Mexico defender César Montes was dismissed for stopping a South African counter-attack at the edge of the box, the decision upheld after video review by referee Wilton Sampaio.
New World Cup 2026 rules debuted at Azteca Stadium. Sampaio enforced the five-second rule to accelerate play, counting on his hand when actions were slow. Substitutions must now be completed within 10 seconds or the outgoing player receives a yellow card. These measures are designed to increase match tempo and reduce stoppages.
New time-management rules and three dismissals accelerate play and increase booking frequency. Reduced time-wasting opportunities may result in higher goal totals and corner counts in matches subject to these conditions.
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