The tournament began with immediate drama, as Mexico and South Korea both delivered wins that changed the tone of Group A before Canada even played. The first day offered goals, red cards, and a reminder that this expanded World Cup may be unpredictable from the start.
Mexico set the pace in Mexico City
Mexico opened the event at the Estadio Azteca in front of a massive home crowd, and the setting matched the occasion. With the ceremony complete and the atmosphere already loud, the hosts wasted little time taking control against South Africa.
The first goal came early after Erik Lira stole the ball from a defender trying to build from the back. Julián Quiñones finished the move by slipping the shot through Ronwen Williams, giving the 2026 tournament its first score. Later, Raúl Jiménez added a second and reacted with visible emotion after heading in his first World Cup goal, a moment that carried extra weight because of the serious head injury he once suffered in club football.
The match was memorable for a harsher reason as well. Referee Wilton Sampaio sent off three players, which made it the most chaotic opening match in World Cup history in disciplinary terms. South Africa lost Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane, while Mexico’s César Montes was also dismissed late for stopping a break. The reviews and the red cards turned the game into a stop-start contest, but Mexico still came away with a clean-sheet win.
That result mattered beyond the scoreline. It was Mexico’s first victory in a World Cup opener after a long run of poor starts, and it came with 17-year-old Gilberto Mora playing an important role in midfield. For the co-hosts, the performance was steady, sharp, and far more convincing than many recent tournament outings.
A comeback in Guadalajara added a different kind of drama
While Mexico’s match was marked by tension, South Korea’s meeting with Czechia offered a different story: patience, recovery, and late pressure. The game in Guadalajara began slowly enough that both sets of supporters made their frustration clear.
Czechia struck first through captain Ladislav Krejčí, who rose to finish a long throw in the 59th minute. The lead did not last long. South Korea answered with a well-built move that ended with Hwang In-beom calmly finishing after a clever pass from Lee Kang-in. The equalizer stood out not only for the quality of the finish but also for the sequence behind it, which lasted 25 passes before the shot arrived.
The match then swung again when Tomáš Souček briefly thought he had restored Czechia’s lead, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside after review. South Korea punished that setback almost immediately. Substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu, who said he had been battling a fever before kickoff, scored the winner from a low cross and gave his side a 2-1 victory.
Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu later protected the result with an important save deep into stoppage time. South Korea finished the match with more shots, more control, and a stronger sense of purpose, making an early case as a team that could surprise people in this tournament.
Signs of depth and belief
South Korea also reached a notable milestone through Son Heung-min, who joined a very small group of players to appear in four World Cups for his country. That kind of experience matters in a tournament this large, especially for a team that looks comfortable winning in different ways.
Group A already looks unsettled
After one day, Mexico and South Korea sit level on three points, with the hosts ahead only on goal difference. South Africa and Czechia both leave opening day with defeat, and both now face pressure to recover quickly before the group gets away from them.
The larger picture is just as important. This World Cup is the biggest ever, and the first two matches showed how quickly momentum can shift. One game produced red-card chaos and emotional celebration; the other featured a comeback, a disallowed goal, and a late winner from a substitute who was not even certain he could play.
Canada now takes the spotlight
For Canadian fans, the opening day served as a preview of what lies ahead. Canada is next to enter the stage, and its first match will bring a long-awaited moment on home soil. The team opens at BMO Field in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina, marking the first men’s World Cup match ever played in Canada.
Jesse Marsch’s squad will then continue its group stage in Vancouver, where the remaining matches await at BC Place. With Qatar and Switzerland also in the group, Canada knows the margin for error will be small. Still, the mood around the team is different now because the tournament has finally arrived and the home crowd will have a direct role in it.
If the first day is any guide, this World Cup will move fast and punish mistakes. It has already produced a blistering start, and Canada’s opening will come with the pressure and energy that only a home tournament can create.