Houston Sur 3:8 GFI 
FC Motown II 3:1 Hudson Valley Hammers 
West Chester United 3:1 Lone Star II 
Delaware FC 0:2 PA Classics 
La Fama 2:2 Britannia 
Argentina 3:0 Algeria 
Austria 3:1 Jordan 
Central Stallions 1:0 Ulaanbaatar 
Canberra White Eagles 1:2 Canberra FC 
Changnyeong W 1:6 Suwon FMC W 
Gyeongju W 0:1 Hwacheon KSPO W 
Gumi Sportstoto W 0:0 Incheon Red Angels W 
Seoul W 2:1 Boeun Sangmu W 
Khoromkhon 2:5 Ulaangom City 
Mbeya City 0:1 Simba 
Maniema Union 1:1 JSK 
Simba 0:0 Vita Club 
APEJES Academy 1:1 Kumba 
Singida Black Stars 5:0 Dodoma Jiji 
Gareji 0:0 Shturmi 
Merani Martvili 2:1 Samtredia 
Gazelle 0:2 Canon 
Don Bosco 0:3 TP Mazembe 
Molodechno-DYuSSh 4 1:4 Bate Borisov 
Arsenal Tula 1:2 Volga Ulyanovsk 
Kolkheti Poti 1:1 Gori 
Grindavik 0:1 Fylkir 
IR Reykjavik 2:1 Grotta 
Kairat Almaty 3:0 Kyzyl-Zhar 
Atlantic 0:1 Union Abong-Mbang 
The 2026 World Cup kicked off with a bang—and not just from the crowd. In the opening match at Mexico City Stadium, Mexico defeated South Africa, but the game was overshadowed by a record number of ejections. Referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio handed out three red cards, sending off two South African players and one Mexican star.
Red Cards Galore in Mexico City
The match started off physical, and things quickly got out of hand. South Africa’s Yaya Sithole was the first to get sent off after a dangerous challenge. Then, Mexico’s Cesar Montes followed him to the locker room for a similar hard tackle. Finally, South Africa’s Themba Zwane also saw red, leaving both teams short-handed.
- South Africa lost two players: Yaya Sithole and Themba Zwane.
- Mexico lost one key defender: Cesar Montes.
- This was the first time in World Cup history that three red cards were shown in the opening match.
How Mexico Won Despite Being Down
Even with a man down, Mexico managed to score the winning goal. South Africa put up a strong fight but couldn’t break through the Mexican defense. The home crowd roared as Mexico held on for a 2-1 victory. Fans called it one of the most thrilling and chaotic World Cup openers ever.
What This Means for the Tournament
The referee’s strict decisions sent a clear message: dangerous play won’t be tolerated at this World Cup. Both teams now have players suspended for their next games. Mexico will have to adjust without Montes, while South Africa will be missing two key starters. The rest of the tournament promises more excitement and surprises.