Mexico kicked off its 2026 World Cup campaign with a thrilling and somewhat chaotic 2–0 victory over South Africa on Thursday in front of an electric home crowd. El Tri came into the opener on an eight-game unbeaten run and showed why just nine minutes into the match, when Julián Quiñones opened the scoring with a well-placed right-footed strike to send the Estadio Azteca into pandemonium. South Africa never recovered from the early blow, allowing Mexico to dominate the game. The wheels came off for the visitors soon after the restart when Yaya Sithole saw red in the 49th minute, and Raúl Jiménez took full advantage, doubling his side’s lead just past the hour-mark. Things went from bad to worse for South Africa when Themba Zwane was sent packing as well, leaving Mexico in cruise control until the final whistle, though César Montes also received his marching orders in stoppage time, staining an otherwise dream start for the host nation, who had previously never won an opening game at the World Cup.One Thing We Can’t IgnoreJulián Quiñones stole the show for Mexico. | Hannah Peters/FIFA/Getty ImagesJavier Aguirre came into Mexico’s opener with a few key decisions to make, one being who gets the nod on the left wing between Quiñones and Alexis Vega. The latter started two of El Tri’s three World Cup tune-up matches, but he was kept on the bench in favor of Quiñones against South Africa—and the decision paid off almost instantly. The 29-year-old, who took home the 2025–26 Saudi Pro League Golden Boot ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo for Al Qadsiah, got the hosts off to a dream start when he bagged the opener inside of 10 minutes, dancing along the edge of the box before firing off a strike that went through goalkeeper Ronwen Williams’s legs and into the back of the net. Quiñones kept the pressure on as the first half progressed, easily the most dangerous player on the pitch for either side. He seemed destined to bag his brace in the 41st minute, but his low strike rattled off the post and out of play. The winger would have loved to find the back of the net in the second half, especially once South Africa went down to 10 men, but he still played his role to perfection, creating chances for his teammates and getting involved in the build-up to Jiménez’s goal. It was a performance that likely earns him the permanent starting job moving forward, keeping Vega on the bench. Mexico Player Ratings vs. South Africa (4-1-4-1)Mexico picked up a calm three points on Thursday. | Hector Vivas/FIFA/Getty Images*Ratings Provided by FotMob*GK: Raúl Rangel—7.5: Had a nervy moment the first time he was tested, coming off his line and losing his balance to unconvincingly parry away a ball he should’ve just caught. Settled in and finished strong, though he had little to do. RB: Israel Reyes—7.4: Put together a consistent outing. Unlucky not to claim an assist for his chipped ball to Jiménez in the 41st minute. CB: César Montes—6.1: Soiled a solid performance by barreling down Khuliso Mudau in stoppage time to receive his marching orders. CB: Johan Vásquez—7.2: Misplayed more passes than he would’ve liked, but overall did his job. Helped hold South Africa to just two shots on target. LB: Jesús Gallardo—7.2: Hardly put a foot wrong, though he might want to work on some shooting practice before the next game. DM: Erik Lira—7.9: Caught Sithole slacking outside his own 18-yard box and won the ball back to set up Quiñones’s opener. A calming force in the middle of the park. RW: Roberto Alvarado—8.2: Did his best work inside his own half, tracking back to help provide cover for Reyes. Delivered a sensational ball right onto the head of Jiménez to double Mexico’s lead. AM: Brian Gutiérrez—6.6: Let down by his decision making on the brink of halftime when he pulled a rushed shot wide instead of looking for Jiménez. Came alive in the second half, though, and made the run that forced Sithole into a clumsy challenge that resulted in a red card. AM: Álvaro Fidalgo—7.1: Picked out his passes with precision. Pounced on a mistake from Williams right after the restart, but couldn’t capitalize. LW: Julián Quiñones—8.8: Oozing with confidence. Took advantage of Sithole’s mistake at the back and calmly fired home a right-footed strike to get Mexico on the scoresheet early. Saw his brace denied by the woodwork. ST: Raúl Jiménez—8.0: Looked like he would have to wait a little longer for his first World Cup goal after a couple great saves from Williams, but finally got his moment of magic when he headed home Mexico’s insurance goal. SUB: Luis Chávez (66’ for Gutiérrez)—6.5: Slotted right into the game with little fanfare. Tidy in possession. SUB: Gilberto Mora (66’ for Fidalgo)—6.3: Didn’t misplace a pass on his World Cup debut but failed to leave his mark. SUB: Edson Álvarez (76’ for Lira)—6.6: Needed to do more to make his case to start. SUB: Armando González (76’ for Jiménez)—5.9: Hardly had a sniff of the ball. SUB: Alexis Vega (79’ for Quiñones)—6.0: Such limited minutes did him no favors. Failed to register a shot or create a chance.Subs not used: Carlos Acevedo (GK), Guillermo Ochoa (GK), Jorge Sánchez, Luis Romo, Mateo Chávez, Obed Vargas, Orbelín Pineda, César Huerta, Guillermo Martínez, Santiago Giménez.What the Ratings Tell UsGilberto Mora made his World Cup debut. | Molly Darlington/FIFA/Getty ImagesAt age 35, Raúl Jiménez made his first-ever World Cup start and showed why he’s Aguirre’s chosen man up top. The striker was up to the task from the opening whistle, linking up well with his supporting cast, getting in dangerous positions and pressing when the moment called. The pressure will be on, though, for a repeat performance against a tougher opponent if Mexico want to make a deep run. Erik Lira’s performance likely shattered any hope Edson Álvarez had of breaking back into the XI. The veteran midfielder could only sit and watch as Lira cemented his place as El Tri’s anchor. His tenacious defensive work and poise on the ball will keep the captain on the bench moving forward.Gilberto Mora became the youngest player ever for Mexico at a World Cup when he came on in the 66th minute to a rousing round of applause from the home crowd. Although there is no place for him in the XI, he will likely continue to be Aguirre’s first player off the bench to infuse a spark of creativity into the team.The Numbers That Explain El Tri’s Comfortable Win Mexico bossed the game, mainting 60% posession and completing 467 passes to South Africa’s 272. El Tri’s midfield controlled the tempo of the game rather effortlessly.Despite playing against 10 men for nearly the entire second half, the hosts only managed to create two big chances. Fans in the crowd were restless for more goals, but they did not come.Mexico never let South Africa threaten its lead. The visitors managed a putrid 0.07 xG and had just three shots in 90 minutes plus stoppage time. StatisticMexicoSouth AfricaPossession60%40%xG1.410.07Total Shots163Shots on Target42Big Chances 20Pass Accuracy90%81%Fouls1211Corners31READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow