World Cup day one recap: Three red cards as Mexico beat South Africa in opener

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Follow all the action from day two at the World Cup!

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22:19 BST - That's it from us tonight, thanks for joining us.

You can follow all the live stats from South Korea's Group A clash against Czech Republic from 3am here.

22:17 BST - Co-hosts Mexico cruised to a convincing 2-0 victory over South Africa in an action-packed 2026 FIFA World Cup (WC) curtain-raiser, as El Tri extended their impressive unbeaten record in tournament openers to eight matches (W6, D2).

Read our report: Mexico beat South Africa to kick off World Cup as ref dishes out three reds

22:03 BST - FULL-TIME! Mexico 2-0 South Africa

21:58 BST - RED CARD! Wow! A straight red for a foul by Cesar Montes, who is deemed to have taken out the last man. Looks mighty harsh, though!

Three red cards in the opener, 10 v 9, crikey ref.

21:49 BST - RED CARD! Themba Zwane is sent off, and South Africa are down to nine players.

21:48 BST - VAR has called the referee to review a possible red card for South Africa's Themba Zwane after an off-the-ball clash...

21:33 BST - GOAL! Mexico double their lead, and it comes through 35-year-old forward Raul Jimenez, who heads home his first-ever World Cup goal. The co-hosts are 2-0 up with around 25 minutes left.

21:28 BST - Julian Quinones has attempted five shots in this game, more than any other player.

21:16 BST - RED CARD FOR SOUTH AFRICA!

Mexico look dangerous in attack once again, and Yaya Sithole brings down the last man to give away a free kick on the edge of the area - although nothing comes from it.

21:12 BST - We're back underway, and Mexico almost score shortly after kick-off after another defensive error.

20:55 BST - HALF-TIME! Mexico 1-0 South Africa

20:48 BST - Raul Jiminez goes close to flicking on a second for Mexico, but Ronwen Williams keeps it out.

Mexico then goes close shortly after, cracking the post. Still 1-0.

20:27 BST - Mexico have avoided defeat in their last three matches when scoring first in the FIFA World Cup, since a 1-2 loss to the Netherlands in 2014.

20:14 BST - GOAL! Mexico take the lead!

Julian Quinones capitalises on a woeful touch from the defender, hammering the ball through the keeper's leg to score the first goal of the 2026 World Cup.

20:10 BST - It's been a solid start from Mexico, as you can expect.

It's a party atmosphere inside this historic ground.

20:06 BST - We are underway at the Azteca Stadium and 2026 World Cup!

FOOTBALL!

19:59 BST - The national anthems are underway, with South Africa first.

19:29 BST - For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, the tournament's opening fixture is a repeat from a prior edition as Mexico and South Africa battle it out again exactly 16 years after their 1-1 draw in Johannesburg in 2010.

Check out our video preview ahead of kick-off in a little over half an hour:

19:02 BST - Mexico, unbeaten in eight straight games, will put their run on the line against South Africa in the World Cup curtain raiser.

Here's the team news:

South Africa XI: Ronwen Williams, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Ime Okon, Aubrey Modiba, Khuliso Mudau, Jayden Adams, Yaya Sithole, Teboho Mokoena, Iqraam Rayners, Lyle Foster

Mexico XI: Raúl Rangel, Jesús Gallardo, Johan Vásquez, César Montes, Israel Reyes, Érik Lira, Julián Quiñones, Álvaro Fidalgo, Brian Gutiérrez, Roberto Alvarado, Raúl Jiménez

18:59 BST - Oh ok, that's that then I guess.

18:55 BST - We've had a few singers, unsure who, but Shakira has arrived. I think it's her anyway?

Team news soon. 

Also a reminder about our new Player Rating feature - check it out here.

18:42 BST - The opening ceremony is underway! We know nothing further than that, so here's the win probability for the opener.

17:25 BST - South Africa coach Hugo Broos has challenged his players to block out an expected wall of sound on Thursday when they take on co-hosts Mexico in their World Cup opener.

Broos, 74, will be making an emotional return to the Estadio Azteca when he leads South Africa into their daunting Group A assignment in Mexico City.

"There will be a big crowd and there will not be so much South African support," Broos said. "So that is a big help for them (Mexico).

"They will have 85,000 Mexicans shouting and singing. But we have to focus on our game. And if we can do that, if we are not too influenced by the noise of 85,000 Mexicans, then we can have a good game."

Read more: South Africa prepared for tough World Cup opener against hosts Mexico

17:21 BST - With every World Cup comes new, exciting talents that want to show the world what they're made of. This year's World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States is no different. With 1,047 players active at the tournament, it's hard to spot them, though.

Do not fret - we at Flashscore have gone through all 48 squads and selected eight of our favourite talents, who look sure to be the next generation's superstars. So sit back, relax, and read all about these eight future superstars.

Read more: Football's Next Gen: Young players to watch during the 2026 World Cup

16:32 BST - Co-hosts Mexico and South Africa open the 2026 World Cup in front of what is expected to be a record television audience at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on Thursday.

The match is expected to be played in front of a record 1.5 billion people, with the eyes of the world truly on the famous stadium steeped in football history.

There are a number of factors that could decide the game, but we picked five that could be crucial to the final result.

Read more: Five key factors as Mexico take on South Africa in Thursday's World Cup opener

16:30 BST - Welcome to Flashscore's World Cup Football Tracker. We'll be here every day of the tournament with all the updates you'll ever need.

Today we'll (do our best to) produce some highlights from the opening ceremony in Mexico City, before hosts Mexico face South Africa in the opening match of the tournament at 20:00 BST.