MEXICO CITY:
The FIFA World Cup 2026 started in an unusual way where the opening match not only delighted the fans but also marked a new and unique phase in the history of football.
In the opening match played at Mexico’s historic Stadia Azteca, hosts Mexico got off to a good start with a 0-2 win over South Africa, but the main focus of the match was more about what happened on the pitch than the score.
During the match, the referee made unusually harsh decisions and showed a total of three red cards, including two players from South Africa and one player from Mexico.
Explosive start to FIFA World Cup 2026, hosts Mexico beat South Africa 0-2
This is the first time in the history of the World Cup that such a large number of red cards have been given in the opening match.
Interestingly, only a few times in FIFA World Cup history have three or more red cards been shown in a single match, when the 2006 edition saw four red cards against Portugal and the Netherlands.
This unexpected aspect of the opening match was also discussed on social media, with users calling it one of the “most dramatic starts” in World Cup history.
