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Abayomi Ademola
The 2026 FIFA World Cup began in dramatic fashion on the opening day, with co-hosts Mexico defeating South Africa 2-0 in a thrilling encounter that produced three red cards, while South Korea fought back to beat the Czech Republic 2-1.
In a packed Estadio Azteca, Mexico delighted home fans with an impressive victory over South Africa. Julián Quiñones opened the scoring in the ninth minute before veteran striker Raúl Jiménez sealed the victory with a header in the second half. The match was marred by a series of sending offs: South Africa finished the match with nine men after Yaya Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off, while Mexico’s César Montes also received a late red card.
In Guadalajara, South Korea recovered from a goal down to claim a memorable 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic. Despite dominating long periods of the match, the Koreans fell behind when captain Ladislav Krejci headed home in the 59th minute. Hwang In-beom sparked the comeback with a brilliant equalizer before setting up Besiktas striker Oh Hyeon-gyu for the winning goal.
South Korea survived late pressure thanks to crucial saves from goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu, securing their first winning start at a World Cup in four tournaments.
The opening day results leave Mexico and South Korea tied on three points at the top of Group A, while South Africa and the Czech Republic will look to bounce back in their second group matches.
