The 2026 FIFA World Cup is one game old and already approaching the disciplinary record of its predecessor. Three red cards were shown during the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on June 11, just one shy of the four total red cards issued across the entire 2022 tournament in Qatar.
That is not a typo. One match. Three ejections. The 2022 World Cup needed 64 games to produce four.
A chaotic opener sets the tone
Mexico handled South Africa 2-0 in the tournament’s curtain-raiser, but the scoreline tells only part of the story. Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio had a busy evening, reaching for the red card three separate times.
South Africa’s Yaya Sithole was the first to go, dismissed in the 49th minute. His teammate Themba Zwane followed him down the tunnel in the 84th minute, leaving South Africa to see out the final stretch with nine men.
