(Photo credit: Eloisa Sanchez-Reuters via Imagn Images)
Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez both scored their first career World Cup goals, and co-hosts Mexico kicked off the 2026 edition with a comfortable 2-0 win over nine-man South Africa on Thursday afternoon to open Group A in Mexico City.
The Colombian-born Quinones scored only nine minutes into his World Cup debut, having secured Mexican citizenship in October 2023 and making his first appearance for El Tri a month later.
The 35-year-old Jimenez finally broke through in his seventh World Cup appearance, coming almost six years after he suffered a nearly career-ending head injury playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Premier League.
Cesar Montes took the lone blemish for Mexico, sent off in second-half stoppage time with the third red card of the match brandished by Wilton Sampaio. Montes took out Khuliso Mudau as he tried to dribble into the penalty area, and was ruled to have denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
Manager Javier Aguirre comfortably guided Mexico (1-0-0, 3 points) to their first victory in eight times playing in the opener of a World Cup. He was also on the field when Mexico last began a home World Cup with a 2-1 win over Belgium at the same Estadio Azteca in 1986.
South Africa (0-1-0, 0 points) rarely threatened with even numbers in their first World Cup match since hosting the event in 2010. They were reduced to 10 when Sampaio judged Sphephelo Sithole had hauled down Brian Gutierrez during an obvious goal-scoring opportunity early in the second half.
It was nine men in the 84th minute following a video review that showed Themba Zwane had deliberately struck a Mexico player.
Jimenez had already forced South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams into an excellent lunging save in the fifth minute before Quinones put El Tri in front.
Williams hurt himself on Mexico's opener when he played an ill-advised pass to Sithole at the top of the penalty arc. Sithole was still careless in losing the ball to pressure from Erik Lira, and as Quinones seized upon the turnover and fired a low finish, Williams was also beaten unflatteringly between his legs.
Jimenez doubled Mexico's advantage when he ran to the back post and headed Roberto Alvarado's cross from the top right corner of the area low between Williams and his near post.
--Field Level Media
