&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "FIFA 2026 | Only nine minute to first goal - Mexico's Julian Quinones gets ball rolling - WATCH")
Mexico kicked off the FIFA World Cup 2026 in style with a 2-0 victory over South Africa in the tournament’s opening match on Thursday. The home crowd at Mexico City Stadium had plenty to celebrate as the hosts took control early and never looked back. The breakthrough came in the ninth minute when Julian Quinones capitalised on a defensive error. South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams played a pass to midfielder Yaya Sithole, who lost possession under pressure, and the loose ball fell to Quinones, who calmly finished through the goalkeeper’s legs to score the first goal of the tournament.
The strike was a landmark moment for Julian Quinones, as he is making his debut on football’s biggest stage. The 29-year-old also became one of the few players to score in their first World Cup appearance and his goal was the fastest opening goal of a World Cup since Germany’s Philipp Lahm found the net six minutes into the 2006 World Cup opener against Costa Rica.
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South Africa struggled to recover after conceding early and faced another setback shortly after halftime. Sithole, already responsible for the turnover that led to Mexico’s opener, was shown a straight red card in the 50th minute for bringing down an opponent outside the penalty area. Reduced to ten men, the visitors found it even more difficult to tackle Mexico’s attacks.
The hosts eventually doubled their advantage in the second half, as Roberto Alvarado delivered an accurate cross into the box, where Raul Jimenez rose above the defence and powered a header into the net. The goal effectively ended South Africa’s hopes of having a comeback and gave Mexico a comfortable lead.
Although Mexico controlled most of the game, the match became increasingly physical as tensions grew. Two more red cards followed before the final whistle, with South Africa’s Themba Zwane and Mexico defender Cesar Montes both being sent off, but despite the heated finish, Mexico remained in command and secured the first win of the tournament.
The result gives the co-hosts a perfect start to their World Cup campaign, while South Africa will need to regroup quickly after a disappointing opening performance marked by defensive mistakes and disciplinary issues.
