The 2026 World Cup began in Mexico City with a spectacle that veered sharply from celebration to chaos. Co-hosts Mexico secured a 2-0 victory over South Africa at the Estadio Azteca, but the match will be remembered less for the scoreline than for the three red cards that reduced it to a fractious, nine-a-side affair. Julian Quinones gave El Tri a dream start, scoring inside nine minutes, before Raul Jimenez — making his first World Cup start six years after a fractured skull threatened his career — headed in a second and wept openly in tribute to his late father. Yet the contest unravelled in the second half: South Africa’s Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were both dismissed, either side of a red card for Mexican captain Cesar Montes, marking the most dismissals in a single World Cup match since 2006. Viewed from the Mexican capital, the win was cathartic — the first time the nation has triumphed in a World Cup opener after seven previous attempts — but the disjointed, ill-tempered nature of the game tempered the euphoria.

Elsewhere in Group A, South Korea produced a composed comeback to beat the Czech Republic 2-1, moving level with Mexico at the top of the early standings. The Taeguk Warriors fell behind in the first half but rallied after the interval, their resilience reflecting a squad that has matured significantly since reaching the knockout stages four years ago. Analysts in Seoul noted the importance of the result in a group where the co-hosts are expected to dominate; the three points immediately ease pressure ahead of a meeting with Mexico that could decide who tops the section.

The opening day was not without its controversies and curiosities. A star-studded ceremony featuring Shakira and Burna Boy had earlier electrified the Azteca, but the mood inside the stadium shifted as the first mandatory hydration breaks in World Cup history were implemented — a concession to player welfare in the Mexican summer heat that some observers in London and Doha argued disrupted the rhythm of the match. Meanwhile, despite an official sell-out crowd, pockets of empty seats were visible during the second half, prompting questions on social media about ticket allocation and corporate hospitality no-shows.

Looking ahead, the tournament’s opening exchanges suggest a World Cup that will be as unpredictable as it is logistically ambitious. Mexico’s victory, however scrappy, provides momentum for a co-host nation under immense pressure to perform on home soil. South Korea’s assured display positions them as a genuine threat to advance from Group A. Yet the disciplinary record — three red cards on day one — will concern FIFA’s refereeing committee, while the hydration breaks and empty seats hint at the growing pains of a 48-team tournament spread across three nations. As the focus shifts to the United States and Canada’s opening fixtures, the early narrative is one of spectacle tinged with disorder, a combination that may define this unprecedented World Cup.