FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 1 results, highlights, Mexico, South Korea make winning starts amid ugly police clashes, protest, goals, schedule, fixtures

The 2026 FIFA World Cup started with bang as three send offs rocked Mexico’s 2-0 victory against South Africa in Mexico City, a rematch of the 2010 tournament opener.

Later on Friday AEST, South Korea sealed an epic 2-1 comeback win over Czechia in Guadalajara, scoring twice in the second half, capping a dramatic opening day the feature ugly scenes as protesters clashed with police on the streets of Mexico.

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CO-HOSTS OFF TO FLYER IN TRIPLE RED CARD STUNNER

Co-hosts Mexico enjoyed a dream start to the FIFA World Cup with a wild 2-0 tournament opening victory against South Africa where three red cards were shown.

Julián Quiñones opened the scoring in the ninth minute to spark pandemonium for the almost 83,000 fans at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Raúl Jiménez’s second half header then put the result beyond doubt, but there were more send offs than goal in a crazy second half.

Remarkably, only four players were sent off in the previous World Cup in Qatar, while the 2026 edition started in a sea of red.

South Africa was on the back foot early, but the tournament opener quickly turned into a nightmare for Bafana Bafana as they were reduced to nine men.

Yaya Sithole was sent off first in the 50th minute for denying Brian Gutiérrez a goal scoring opportunity after Jiménez played him through.

Themba Zwane was then given his marching order 34 minutes later after VAR intervened to ensure a second red card was shown for the game.

Mexico was later reduced to ten men during stoppage time as their captain Cesar Montes was also deemed to have denied a scoring opportunity.

All three players will miss their next match as a result with former Ghana international Kevin-Prince Boateng describing Montes’ red card as “a joke” on SBS.

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Boateng said Montes was not the last defender and VAR should have intervened to overturn referee Wilton Sampaio’s decision.

He was not the only one displeased with the officiating.

“I was shocked when he gave the [third] red,” Manchester United great Gary Neville said on ITV.

“It was a game that didn’t feel like it would have three reds.

“It’s a classic 1980s, 1990s – I’m going to take one for the team. Steve Bruce was great at it. I’m going to take a foul outside the box.

“It’s with force, but is he denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity? It’s right on the edge, but it’s difficult to score from there.”

Neville added: “The second one, he’s just tried to leverage himself. It’s not a slap.

“If you give a yellow, then you’d say there that’s fine.”

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Despite the controversy, it was a party atmosphere at the Azteca with sombreros spinning in the stands and tears of joy flowing both times their team found the back of the net.

Quiñones’ early strike alleviated any nerves inside the iconic stadium, which is hosting the World Cup for the third time, and gave Mexico their own memorable moment like South Africa enjoyed 16 years ago.

The pair met in the tournament opener in Johannesburg in 2010, where Siphiwe Tshabalala’s unforgettable strike sparked jubilation across the Rainbow Nation in what ended as a 1-1 draw.

The contest was more lopsided this time around, however, and South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams will be hoping to forget the opening goal quickly.

Quiñones’ strike went through Williams’ legs and marked the earliest first goal of the tournament since Philipp Lahm scored for Germany against Costa Rica after six minutes in 2006.

Meanwhile, the explosion of joy in the stands quickly led to a flurry of comments on social media that FIFA have made a blunder and that the Azteca should be hosting the final, not New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.

Mexico had never won their opening game of World Cup in seven attempts, registering five defeats and two draws during their previous appearances at the tournament.

But coach Javier Aguirre’s side were always in control and bagged three points that puts them firmly on course for the knockout rounds from Group A.

Aguirre though revealed his team had had to set aside some opening day nerves to achieve the result.

“When you’re starting out the World Cup, of course your legs will shake,” Aguirre said. “Never in 25 years had anyone had any cramps but three of them had cramps today.

“We were in awe when we saw the stadium and they got a little bit of stage fright. But we never suffered. We could have scored four and it would have been completely different.” The final minutes of Thursday’s game saw some sections of the restless home crowd boo the World Cup co-hosts.

Aguirre said while he hadn’t heard the catcalls, the crowd were entitled to vent.

“I didn’t hear boos. But it could have been a 4-0 game. 2-0, is not so much. But we got three points, which is amazing,” Aguirre said.

“If someone is booing, it’s the Mexico players’ obligation to make sure that doesn’t happen again. But it didn’t have an impact on us.”

Mexico now look ahead to games against South Korea and the Czech Republic — but Aguirre snuffed out any suggestion that his team were targeting finishing first in their group.

“We’re zero obsessed to win the group,” he said. “Today we’re just focused on Korea. It’s not relevant. It’s not our priority. Our priority is to focus on Korea, to keep going step by step and prepare for the future.” South Africa coach Hugo Broos meanwhile had no complaint with the red card that saw Sphephelo Sithole dismissed after half-time, but took issue with the dismissal of substitute Themba Zwane late in the game.

“The first red card, I don’t think we have to say something about it but the second red card I think the Mexican player blocked my player, the referee decides something else,” he said. “So it is a pity that we have to finish this game with nine players.

“I think my team played a good game, some moments in the game Mexico even desperate, they didn’t know how to find the spaces. But we must try and be better in the next game when we have the ball.”

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‘IT WAS CHAOS’: PROTESTS, POLICE CLASHES OUTSIDE STADIUM

Shakira had the spectators out of their seats at the World Cup opening ceremony but outside the Estadio Azteca fans and protesters clashed with police.

A crush to get into an overcrowded fan zone in the centre of Mexico City and protests near the stadium made for a chaotic day that contrasted with the festive atmosphere inside the Azteca.

The venerable and now renovated stadium in the Mexican capital was a fitting venue for the tournament curtainraiser between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa, having staged the World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986.

Colombian pop superstar Shakira, who herself is a veteran of past World Cups, lit up the stadium by partnering with Nigerian Burna Boy to perform “Dai Dai”, the official song of the tournament, bringing roars from the 80,000-strong crowd.

Dancers twirled around a giant model of the World Cup trophy while fireworks streaked across the pitch as the noise levels ramped up.

“It’s already a party in Mexico,” Ingrid Orozco, a 40-year-old supporter, told AFP.

“It’s amazing,” said Gustavo Ramirez, 19.

But in the centre of Mexico City, thousands of fans pushed and shoved as they attempted to enter the official World Cup fan zone to watch the game.

Access to the area in Zocalo plaza was hampered by metal barriers erected in recent days to prevent protesting teachers reaching the area.

“Stop pushing and shoving, there are children here, you’re like animals!” a city official shouted through a megaphone as he tried to control access to the venue where the opening game was shown on a giant screen.

Some fans threw water bottles and hurled insults at police as well as chanting in support of the Mexican team.

“It took us an hour to get in, it was chaos, and getting out was even worse,” 49-year-old Victor Gomez told AFP, who, along with his partner gave up on watching the match at that venue.

“Inside, you can’t even walk, and you can’t see anything; we could only get access to the very last little screen over here.” The local government announced on social media that the site was “full” and urged fans to go to other sites.

President Claudia Sheinbaum had been expected to watch the game at the fan zone but instead took in the action from a local sports center following days of protests in the area by the teachers, who are demanding pay rises.

The teachers, joined by relatives of Mexicans who have gone missing, and student activists gathered early Thursday outside the stadium.

As the match began some protesters breached barriers and exchanged blows with officers guarding the stadium’s perimeter.

A handful of youths smashed vehicle windows with bats as police fired tear gas and dispatched mounted officers to corral the protesters, who scattered on foot

DOMINANT KOREA COME BACK IN THRILLER

In the second match of the day South Korea got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start by beating the Czech Republic 2-1 after finally converting some of the many chances they created.

Until the 80th-minute mark it seemed that the Czechs would punish the Koreans’ wastefulness, but substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu scored the decisive goal in a Guadalajara stadium that was far from full.

Son Heung-min’s Koreans had dominated the first half but were unable to find the net.

The former Tottenham star blasted one effort over the bar before making a driving run to his left and evading two Czech defenders only to shoot wide.

An entertaining second half began with the Czechs scoring against the run of play as Ladislav Krejci rose at the front post to power a header past Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu.

Hwang In-beom finally made the Korean pressure pay with a clever equalizer as he faked a shot and then caressed the ball over Czech ‘keeper Matek Kovar on 67 minutes.

The Czechs had a goal disallowed before Hwang added to his goal with an assist, crossing from the right for Oh to slot home.

When the final whistle sounded after a frantic end to the game, Son sank to the turf in joy.

South Korea face co-hosts Mexico on June 18.

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