KATHMANDU, June 12: The 2026 World Cup opener between Mexico and South Africa was dominated by an extraordinary disciplinary record, with three red cards stealing the spotlight in Mexico’s 2-0 win, ESPN reported.
Played in front of more than 80,000 fans at Estadio Azteca, the match became the first World Cup opener in history to feature three dismissals. The previous record for a World Cup opener was two red cards, set in 1990 when Cameroon had two players sent off against defending champions Argentina.
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South Africa were reduced to 10 men in the first half after Yaya Sithole was shown a red card. The situation worsened after the break when Themba Zwane was also sent off following a VAR review by Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio for a foul on Mexico’s Roberto Alvarado, according to ESPN.
Mexico’s César Montes later became the third player to see red in the dying stages, sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, completing a rare disciplinary collapse in a single match.
According to ESPN, the three red cards in one game is particularly striking given that only four red cards were shown across the entire 2022 World Cup, meaning the new tournament is already nearing that tally after just one match.
The fixture also became only the seventh in World Cup history to feature three or more red cards, underlining the unusual intensity of the opening game, ESPN added.
