Jiménez thrills by sealing victory for Mexico against South Africa.

Raúl Jiménez thrilled the Estadio Azteca by scoring his first goal in World Cup knockout stages, marking the most emotional moment in Mexico’s 2-0 victory over South Africa in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. On a historic night, in front of 80,000 ecstatic fans, the Mexican forward capped a dream debut as a starter in World Cups at the age of 35, just months after losing his father and nearly four years after the severe head trauma he suffered in England that threatened to end his career.

Mexico came out strong in this expanded edition of the World Cup, securing a comfortable victory over a completely ineffective South Africa, reduced to nine players even before the final whistle. Julián Quiñones, top scorer of the Saudi Pro League in 2025/26, opened the scoring just nine minutes in, capitalizing on a glaring error by Yaya Sithole, in a goal that immediately eased the pressure felt by the hosts. The African team, already with a historically poor record in knockout stages, found themselves at a clear disadvantage and never managed to respond. The match was practically decided when Sithole was sent off shortly after halftime for stopping Brian Gutiérrez, allowing Jiménez to double the lead to 2-0. The situation worsened for the South Africans when Themba Zwane received a red card, following a VAR intervention, for violent conduct. César Montes, captain of Mexico, was also sent off in the final minutes, bringing the total number of red cards in this opening match to three, a surprising statistic for a game without much animosity.

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This victory puts Mexico one step closer to the knockout stage, needing just one more point from their next two matches in Group A, against South Korea and the Czech Republic, to secure their passage to the next round for the eighth time in the last nine World Cup appearances. After the disappointment of an early exit in 2022, “El Tri” is showing solid arguments to return to their usual status of consistent presence in the knockout rounds, in a tournament that, for the third time in history, has Mexico as the host — a feat never before achieved by any other nation.

The context could not have been more favorable for the Mexicans. South Africa arrived at this World Cup without a win in five matches, failing to score two goals in a single game and lacking significant preparation against opponents outside the African continent. The choice of opponents clearly favored Mexico, which took advantage of all the weaknesses of Bafana Bafana to start with a bang. South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams managed to prevent greater damage in the first half, but the collapse was inevitable as mistakes and expulsions piled up.

At the end of the match, Raúl Jiménez did not hide his emotion: “This goal means everything to me. After everything I’ve been through, the injuries, the loss of my father, I can only thank everyone who believed in me. Scoring on this stage, in this jersey, is indescribable,” said the forward, visibly moved, in the mixed zone. Jiménez equaled Jared Borgetti as the second-highest scorer in the history of the national team, now tallying 46 goals in 127 international appearances—a feat even more impressive considering that, until today, he had never been a starter in a World Cup.

The Mexican coach, also taken by the team’s performance and Jiménez’s moment, emphasized the importance of the victory: “It was essential to start winning, especially in a group that can become complicated. The players’ attitude was exemplary, and Raúl deserves everything he is experiencing. There are no words for his journey,” he highlighted in the post-match conference.

With this demolishing entry, Mexico positions itself as a strong candidate to lead the group and secure a less thorny path in the round of 16. The upcoming challenges against South Korea and the Czech Republic will surely be more demanding, but confidence is high. For South Africa, history seems set to repeat itself, with another early elimination taking shape.

The victory, the record of three red cards, and Raúl Jiménez’s moment of redemption make this World Cup start unforgettable for the hosts, propelling Mexico into a campaign that promises to be one of affirmation on the biggest stage in world football. Everything indicates that Estadio Azteca may once again be the scene of great nights for the Mexicans, who dream once more of surpassing their own limits in the premier tournament.

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