Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in the 2026 World Cup opener, giving former Egypt manager Javier Aguirre a winning start on home soil.
Mexico opened the tournament with a 2-0 win over South Africa at Estadio Azteca, giving head coach Javier Aguirre a victory in the tournament’s first match.
Julián Quiñones scored the first goal of the World Cup in the ninth minute. Raúl Jiménez added Mexico’s second in the 67th minute.
South Africa finished with nine men after Sphephelo Sithole was sent off early in the second half and Themba Zwane received a late red card.
The match opened the expanded 48-team World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada. Mexico lead Group A after the win. The group also includes South Korea and Czechia.
Javier Aguirre’s brief tenure with Egypt came to an end in 2019 after losing to South Africa in the AFCON.