Mexico edged past South Africa 2-0 in the opening fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The win felt like a sweet revenge, for which Mexico had been waiting for 16 years. But the bigger story is Mexico’s wait for 96 years to win an opening fixture at the world’s biggest football tournament.
Mexico has played in the opening fixture of the FIFA World Cup a record eight times, starting with 1930.
In 2010, when South Africa became the first African nation to host the FIFA World Cup, nobody thought they would go on to score a banger on Day 1 and hold Mexico for a 1-1 draw. The Mexicans, however, were denied a flying start and also could not break their jinx of a winless Day 1. It was probably their best chance, but Siphiwe Tshabalala’s stunning strike from the edge of the box to the top-right corner broke several hearts.
Commentator Peter Drury perfectly captured that moment. “Goal for all of Africa!” he had said. That match remains in the hearts of most of the football fans.
Now, after 16 years, the clock came to a full circle on Friday. And, this time, Mexico wanted to end their winless Day 1 run and finally had the chance to ‘settle the score’ at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico in front of 80,824 fans.
The win, however, wasn’t smooth for Mexico. They failed to capitalise on a shaky South African side that seemed to have completely lost the plot after 15 minutes of kick-off. It was nothing like the 2010’s South Africa—fast, lethal and accurate. The stadium’s roar made them feel helpless and pushed them to lose confidence.
“Listen to that deafening roar cascading down the stands! The Azteca isn’t just a stadium tonight—it is an absolute concrete pressure cooker. South Africa’s players look completely gripped by stage fright,” the commentator had said.
Mexico dominated possession and found an early breakthrough through Julián Quiñones, whose low-powered drive slipped through the South African goalkeeper’s legs. The goal put off the pressure inside a packed Azteca.
The second goal, scored by Raúl Jiménez after a well-timed run into the box and a sublime header, appeared to put the contest beyond South Africa’s reach. The match, however, will be remembered for the referee and the chaos that followed.
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A 16-year-old wound
Flying tackles, hard shoves and three red cards were witnessed in the second half. South Africa finished the game with nine men, while Mexico was reduced to 10 in stoppage time.
“Three red cards, a total breakdown of discipline, but absolute theatre for the neutral viewer,” the commentator screamed.
And, this is exactly the nature of the FIFA World Cup. The biggest example is Argentina vs the Netherlands in the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter finals, which ended in a 2-2 draw till 120 minutes before Argentina secured a 4-3 victory in the penalties.
Players wait four years for this stage. Nations carry expectations that extend beyond football. The result is a level of intensity that can push matches to the edge. And, on Friday, Mexico handled that intensity better.
The victory goes beyond the record books. It gives Mexico a much-needed momentum in the tournament, which is being played largely on home soil. It’s for the fans who believe this generation of Mexican football can achieve something special and can sweat that extra mile to achieve that.
The first fixture has offered a bitter-sweet rivalry. For Mexico, it was the closure of a 16-year-old wound, and for South Africa, it’s a poor start.
World Cups are remembered in moments like this. South Africa’s famous opening-day performance in 2010 became one such moment. However, Mexico’s win this year doesn’t have the same intensity, but it matters.
“Seven times before, Mexico has walked into a World Cup opening match and failed to secure a victory. But tonight, the curse is shattered! Javier Aguirre’s men have braved the nerves, navigated a fiercely physical contest, and given millions across Mexico a night of pure, unadulterated celebration,” the commentator said in his last monologue.
Football takes its own sweet time for revenge.