Mexico vs South Africa LIVE
Mexico's Julian Quinones unleashed a spectacular strike and Raul Jimenez scored a header as the co-hosts beat nine-man South Africa 2-0 in their World Cup Group A opener at Estadio Azteca on Thursday, in a match where three players were sent off.
Quinones opened the scoring early after Sphephelo Sithole's defensive error allowed Erik Lira to recover possession and set up the forward, whose powerful finish sent the home crowd wild under cloudy skies in Mexico City.
South Africa's task became harder five minutes after the break when Sithole was sent off for a foul on Brian Gutierrez, although Jimenez failed to make the resulting free kick count. The striker made amends in the 67th minute, heading in Mexico's second at the far post.
Midfielder Themba Zwane was shown a red card for violent conduct in the 84th minute as South Africa finished with nine men, while Mexico defender Cesar Montes was also sent off for a foul in stoppage time. Mexico face South Korea in Guadalajara on Thursday, while South Africa play the Czechia.
Mexico vs South Africa latest news
- RED CARD! Mexico see red in injury time
- RED CARD! South Africa down to nine men
- GOAL! Jimenez heads home a second
- RED CARD! Sithole sent off for South Africa
- GOAL! Quinones nets first goal of World Cup
Full-time!
22:04 , Alex Young
98min: That’s your lot for the opening game!
Those final two red cards put somewhat of a sour taste on the game, which was a very easy win for Mexico.
South Africa offered very, very little.
MEXICO RED CARD!
22:01 , Alex Young
92min: This is ridiculous! Another red card!
Montes is sent off for what is a yellow card all day, every day. Mudau was in a goalscoring opportunity apparently.
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
21:57 , Alex Young
91min: Seven minutes added on.
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
21:54 , Alex Young
86min: Even the Mexico fans have lost some of their noise after that. A tamer atmosphere in the Azteca now.
SOUTH AFRICA RED CARD!
21:51 , Alex Young
83min: Another one!
That is absolutely absurd.
Zwane is red-carded for a supposed slap on Alvarado. He looks extremely confused, and so do a lot of people in the stadium.
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
21:49 , Alex Young
81min: We have a VAR check for a possible red card.
The referee has been asked to go to the monitor. It’s so soft.
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
21:46 , Alex Young
79min: No second goal for Quinones, as he is replaced by Vega.
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
21:44 , Alex Young
77min: Alvarez and Gonzalez are on for Lira and goalscorer Jimenez.
It’s a party atmosphere in the Azteca.
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
21:41 , Alex Young
74min: Sibisi is into the book for a cynical shove.
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
21:40 , Alex Young
73min: Shouts for a Mexico penalty as Jimenez takes a tumble under the pressure from Zwane, but the referee is not interested.
GOAL!
21:35 , Alex Young
67min: Game, set and match, you’d think!
Jimenez heads home his first ever World Cup goal! A bullet, down into the pitch.
And the Wolves striker is crying as he celebrates. What a moment!
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
21:34 , Alex Young
66min: A bit of World Cup history as 17-year-old comes on. He is the second-youngest player in the tournament’s history!
Fidalgo and Gutierrez are replaced by Chavez and Mora.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
21:28 , Alex Young
62min: Another roll of the dice from South Africa as Zwane replaces Adams.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
21:28 , Alex Young
60min: A bit more from South Africa as we head into the final half an hour.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
21:23 , Alex Young
56min: Foster makes way, replaced by Mbatha.
Foster has done very, very little.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
21:18 , Alex Young
52min: It’s a free kick right on the edge, which Jimenez fires straight into the wall.
SOUTH AFRICA RED CARD!
21:17 , Alex Young
50min: Dear, oh dear.
Sithole is shown a straight red card for bringing down Gutiérrez.
Is it also a penalty? Looks on the edge...
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
21:15 , Alex Young
49min: Quinones really wants that second goal, and tries to beat Williams from the halfway line. Decent effort, but the keeper gets back quickly.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
21:13 , Alex Young
47min: Almost a disaster start (again) for South Africa as goalkeeper Williams plays it straight to Gallardo on the edge of the area. The defender should shoot, but opts to pass and loses possession.
What a waste.
Second half
21:12 , Alex Young
46min: And we’re back underway! No changes, after all.
21:11 , Alex Young
The players are back out for the second half.
21:06 , Alex Young
You wonder if South Africa will be tempted to make changes at the break.
They need a spark from somewhere.
21:02 , Alex Young
Great scenes after the goal. The earliest first goal in a World Cup since 2006.
Half-time!
20:55 , Alex Young
50min: And that’s your lot for the first half of the first game.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
20:55 , Alex Young
49min: Oh dear, oh dear. Gutierrez should make it two before the break.
A lovely move from Mexico slips him into the area, but the forward cannot make up his mind over shooting or passing... and does a mixture of the two.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
20:54 , Alex Young
48min: Modiba gets in a tangle with Alvarado and wins a corner... but the referee doesn’t agree and awards a goal kick.
Isn’t VAR supposed to check those things now?
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
20:52 , Alex Young
46min: Four minutes added on.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
20:51 , Alex Young
45min: Mokoena has a pop from 30 yards, which is well-hit and on target... but easy for Rangel in goal.
OFF THE POST!
20:50 , Alex Young
43min: Mexico denied again, this time with Williams beaten but Quinones’s effort comes back off the base of the post.
SAVE!
20:48 , Alex Young
42min: Jimenez denied again!
A beauty of a curled ball over the stop lands on Jimenez’s outstretched toe, and Williams needs to be fully alert to palm the ball away.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
20:42 , Alex Young
36min: That’s better! A promising attack down the left from Mexico almost carves open a chance, but Mbokazi is on hand to get in a crucial block.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
20:40 , Alex Young
33min: Tempted to take back that last update, as Mexico have been quite untidy and slack in possession since.
Luckily for them, South Africa have been pretty woeful.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
20:37 , Alex Young
30min: More impetus from Mexico after that water break. They are looking for a second goal.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
20:34 , Alex Young
28min: Back underway.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
20:31 , Alex Young
25min: The first drinks break of the World Cup arrives with co-hosts Mexico in front.
South Africa showing more since going behind, but Mexico not being troubled.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
20:29 , Alex Young
23min: This referee is quite card-happy.
Gutierrez goes into the book for a late challenge on Sithole.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
20:28 , Alex Young
22min: Whipped ball in from the right from Alvarado in search of Jimenez, but Okon gets a firm head to clear the danger.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
20:26 , Alex Young
20min: A pause in play as Jimenez gets a talking to from the referee.
It’s a bit stop-start, which Mexico don’t mind.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
20:23 , Alex Young
17min: Well, South Africa have made it into Mexico’s half, so that’s an improvement.
But, wait, the first yellow card goes to Mokoena for a lunge on Fidalgo. Clear as day.
Mexico 1-0 South Africa
20:20 , Alex Young
12min: Mexico are just going to settle in and look to pick South Africa off, now.
South Africa already need a new gameplan.
GOAL!
20:15 , Alex Young
9min: Right on cue, Mexico lead!
The first goal of the World Cup falls to Quinones, drilling home from the edge of the area after some slack South Africa defending!
Mexico 0-0 South Africa
20:14 , Alex Young
8min: South Africa have dug in with their five-man defence, but Mexico are hurrying and harrying with a great press.
Could be a long day for Bafana Bafana.
SAVE!
20:12 , Alex Young
5min: Mexico should be a goal up!
A fantastic, low, driven cross from the right is pounced on by Raul Jimenez, who doesn’t get the bet connection but still forces a great stop from Williams in goal.
Mexico 0-0 South Africa
20:09 , Alex Young
3min: South Africa finally get their foot on the ball, through Adams, which prompts loud boos.
We can see how this one is going to play out.
Mexico 0-0 South Africa
20:08 , Alex Young
2min: Mexico players being cheers with every pass. They have barely ventured beyond the halfway line, though.
Kick-off!
20:06 , Alex Young
1min: Here we go!
20:02 , Alex Young
Right then, shall we get this World Cup underway?
20:01 , Alex Young
And now Mexico. That was special. Tears in the crowd!
19:57 , Alex Young
The South Africa anthem is belted out. It’s a beauty.
19:55 , Alex Young
Here come the players!
19:52 , Alex Young
Well, that was something. David Guetta wasn’t there, but he was doing heart hand shapes through the big screens.
19:50 , Alex Young
Huge, huge cheers for Mexico. Less so for USA.
And now David Guetta and Andrea Bocelli, of course.
19:45 , Alex Young
The flags of all 48 nations competing at the tournament are now being paraded onto the pitch. The game kicks off in 15 minutes, apparently.
19:44 , Alex Young
Lyle Foster is taking it all in.
19:35 , Alex Young
It looks to be a fairly defensive line-up from South Africa, which head coach Hugo Broos drawn largely from Mamelodi Sundowns.
Captain Ronwen Williams may be busy in goal.
19:31 , Alex Young
This is South Africa’s first World Cup match, since they hosted in 2010. Bafana Bafana have been waiting for this moment for 16 years.
Mexico captain left on bench
19:17 , Alex Young
Interesting team news from Mexico as captain Edson Alvarez is left on the bench, joined in a less-surprising move, by veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
Erik Lira gets the nod in midfield in Alvarez's place, with Wolves striker Raul Jimenez leading the line.
Gilberto Mora, 17, and the youngest player at the World Cup, is a substitute. He will become the second-youngest player to appear at a finals if he gets on.
South Africa also have a Championship striker, with Burnley's Lyle Foster starting up top.
19:15 , Alex Young
Wilton Sampaio, from Brazil, is the man in the middle tonight.
He took charge of four games at Qatar 2022, most notably England’s quarter-final defeat to France.
Confirmed line-ups in full
19:09 , Alex Young
Mexico XI: Rangel, Montes, Vasquez, Reyes, Gallardo, Lira, Fidalgo, Alvarado, Gutierrez, Jimenez, Quinones
Subs: Acevedo, Ochoa, Sanchez, Alvarez, Chavez, Romo, Pineda, Vargas, Mora, Chavez, Vega, Gimenez, Gonzalez, Huerta, Martinez.
South Africa XI: Williams, Modiba, Mbokazi, Sibisi, Mudau, Okon, Mokoena, Sithole, Adams, Foster, Rayners.
Subs: Chaine, Goss, Matuludi, Ndamane, Kabini, Makhanya, Sebelebele, Cross, Mbatha, Appolis, Moremi, Mofokeng, Zwane, Maseko, Makgopa
South Africa XI
19:00 , Alex Young
...and Bafana Bafana!
Bafana Bafana starting lineup vs Mexico#BafanaPride@StandardBankZA @10bet_ZA @REXONA_SA @adidasZA @adidasfootball @HonorAfrica pic.twitter.com/A32usCRbq5
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) June 11, 2026
Mexico XI
18:57 , Alex Young
Here’s how the co-hosts line up!
The official lineup! 🚨
— Mexican National Team (@miseleccionmxEN) June 11, 2026
This is our first #StartingXI of the World Cup.
Ready to give it our all. LET'S GOOOOOO! 🫶#SomosMéxico 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/YKVToWMAYe
'You cannot go crazy'
18:50 , Alex Young
Mexico are widely viewed as favourites to beat South Africa but head coach Javier Aguirre said home advantage would only help if his players managed the pressure.
"You cannot go crazy," he said. "Everyone wants to finish the game in the first half, but this lasts 90 minutes."
Mexico will try to make history on Thursday, with the hosts still seeking their first win in a World Cup opening match after seven previous attempts, a statistic Aguirre said he only learned when it was put to him at the press conference.
"Then we have one more reason to win," he said. "We will break that statistic."
'When you go home, you must not go home with regrets'
18:35 , Alex Young
For South Africa, the fixture carries its own echoes. They opened the 2010 World Cup against Mexico in Johannesburg, drawing 1-1 after Siphiwe Tshabalala scored one of the tournament's most memorable goals.
Midfielder Teboho Mokoena said South Africa wanted to embrace the occasion while giving themselves the best chance of reaching the knockout stage.
"We want to be competitive and see ourselves go to the next round," Mokoena said. "We must be here to enjoy the experience. When you go home, you must not go home with regrets."
'It's very important to win your first game'
18:20 , Alex Young
South Africa coach Hugo Broos said his side are prepared to face Mexico's quality, insisting they are ready to fight for every ball against the group's "strongest team".
"They play good football," Broos told reporters on Wednesday. "They have very good players, players who can decide a match. And playing in front of 85,000 people gives them a boost."
Broos said South Africa had done detailed work on Mexico and would not be overawed by the occasion, adding his players had also adapted to the city's altitude after arriving early.
"Because of the altitude, we had to be here a little bit sooner," he said. "We had 10 days, and I think 10 days is sufficient. From that side, I think we are ready."
He added: "In a group like this, it is very important to win your first game," he said. "If you don't win, you are already in a difficult position."
18:08 , Alex Young
Amid a sea of Mariachi costumes, trumpets, and a sea of dark green support, Mexico City are opening the doors of the World Cup.
The famous Azteca stadium hosts the opening game amid a backdrop of protests around the capital. Long queues can be seen as fans wait to enter.
17:58 , Alex Young
The action is fast approaching.
17:40 , Alex Young
A little under an hour until the opening ceremony begins.
Mexico vs South Africa prediction
17:33 , Alex Young
This clash between two perennial World Cup underperformers is something of an underwhelming start to the summer, but with the world watching, it will surely produce drama.
South Africa will benefit from having played together a bit more regularly than their opponents, with AFCON still relatively fresh in the memory, and will hope to lean on that chemistry here without an orchestra of vuvuzelas to egg them on.
Mexico, though, will have them beat for squad quality and depth, and Bafana Bafana will have a mountain to climb playing in one of the most hostile environments in the sport.
Mexico to win, 2-1.
Predicted XIs
17:25 , Alex Young
Mexico predicted XI: Ochoa; Sanchez, Montes, Alvarez, Gallardo; Gutierrez, Fidalgo, Pineda; Alvarado, Jimenez, Quinones
South Africa predicted XI: Williams; Mudau, Mbokazi, Okon, Modiba; Mbatha, Sithole, Mokoena; Appollis, Foster, Moremi
Early South Africa team news
17:19 , Alex Young
South Africa’s team news has been effectively kept under wraps after they opted to play their final warm-up fixture against Jamaica behind closed doors. All that is known of the match is that Burnley striker Lyle Foster scored their only goal in a 1-1 draw, and he is duly expected to keep his place up top here.
Tshepang Moremi is a relatively inexperienced but popular choice on the left flank, while Teboho Mokoena should get the nod in midfield despite the role he played in a scandal during qualifying, where he played despite being suspended.
Mamelodi Sundowns shot-stopper Ronwen Williams, 34, impressed throughout AFCON and World Cup qualifying and will keep his place.
South Africa squad: Ronwen Williams, Ricardo Goss, Sipho Chaine, Khuliso Mudau, Aubrey Modiba, Khulumani Ndamane, Olwethu Makhanya, Bradley Cross, Thabang Matuludi, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Kamogelo Sebelebele, Ime Okon, Samukele Kabini, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Teboho Mokoena, Jayden Adams, Thalente Mbatha, Sphephelo Sithole, Oswin Appollis, Tshepang Moremi, Evidence Makgopa, Relebohile Mofokeng, Lyle Foster, Iqraam Rayners, Themba Zwane, Thapelo Maseko
Early Mexico team news
17:12 , Alex Young
There is a decision to be made in goal for Mexico after the veteran Guillermo Ochoa earned a late call-up to the squad, but he is not expected to unseat established No1 Raul Rangel.
Raul Jimenez is expected to lead the line after completing his return to Wolves on a free transfer.
Holding midfield will be an area to watch after Edson Alvarez was knocked down to the bench for El Tri’s final pre-tournament friendly against Serbia, with Erik Lira taking his place.
Mexico squad: Raul Rangel, Carlos Acevedo, Guillermo Ochoa, Israel Reyes, Jesús Gallardo, Jorge Sánchez, César Montes, Johan Vásquez, Mateo Chávez, Erik Lira, Luis Romo, Obed Vargas, Brian Gutiérrez, Orbelín Pineda, Edson Álvarez, Gilberto Mora, César Huerta, Álvaro Fidalgo, Luis Chávez, Roberto Alvarado, Alexis Vega, Julián Quiñones, Santiago Gimenez, Guillermo Martínez, Armando González, Raúl Jiménez
How to watch
17:05 , Alex Young
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on ITV1, with coverage starting at 7.50pm ahead of an 8pm kick-off.
Live stream: UK viewers can also catch the contest live online via ITVX app or the channel’s website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.
Free highlights: World Cup highlights are available on FIFA’s official YouTube channel, along with the ITVX app and their websites.
Mexico vs South Africa LIVE
16:59 , Alex Young
It’s here! Finally. The 2026 World Cup is finally upon us, and we kick off tonight as co-hosts Mexico welcome South Africa to the Azteca Stadium.
It’s been a long road to the tournament, which is the biggest ever both in size and scope. It’s also been a controversial one.
But for the next few hours, we will focus on the football. And the opening ceremony, of course, which starts at 6.30pm BST.
The first of 104 games kicks off at 8pm. So you best stick with us, yeah?
