Mexico opens the 2026 World Cup with a big victory at home

Mexico arrived at the 2026 FIFA World Cup carrying the weight of a nation’s expectations, and on Thursday night they delivered everything their fans were waiting for.

The most important World Cup in history had its opening night. And it was exactly as loud, dramatic and emotional as anyone could have hoped for.

Before kicking the ball, Shakira took the stage to perform the official World Cup song “Dai Dai” alongside Burna Boy.

Legendary Mexican mariachi Alejandro Fernández sang the host country’s national anthem to a crowd that had been waiting for this moment for years.

The ceremony served as a warm-up for what would come later on the pitch.

The Azteca Stadium became the first stadium in history to host the opening match of three different World Cups, having done so in 1970 and 1986.

On both occasions the match ended in a draw. Mexico made sure that 2026 would be different.

With a roaring crowd of 80,824, Mexico beat South Africa 2-0, scoring in each half to open their World Cup campaign with a perfect three points.

Julián Quiñones, a 29-year-old forward born in Colombia who chose to represent Mexico internationally, opened the scoring with a strong diagonal and shot that put Azteca in delirium.

Raúl Jiménez added the second to secure the result and was mobbed by his teammates in front of a stadium that has witnessed some of the best moments in football.

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Quiñones was one of six Mexico starters making their World Cup debut that night, a new generation taking to the biggest stage for the first time.

For a team that has been rebuilding since the disappointment of Qatar 2022, Thursday night felt like the start of something real.

The game also had its chaos. Three red cards were shown throughout the match, two for South Africa and one for Mexico, making the second half a tense battle.

But Mexico never seemed willing to give up leadership. They were organized, physical and clinical when necessary.

behind the veil

Outside the stadium, a different story was unfolding.

Protesters marched through the streets near the Azteca, raising awareness about Mexico’s missing persons crisis and demanding government action on the more than 130,000 people still missing across the country.

Football and reality, as always, coexisting.

Mexico, which suffered a painful elimination in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, will face South Korea on Thursday in Guadalajara.

Three points on the board. The Aztec roars. El Tri is back, and this time, he means business.