By Newspot Nigeria Sports Desk
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on Thursday with excitement, goals and drama as co-hosts Mexico and South Korea recorded victories in the opening Group A matches of the tournament.
More than 80,000 fans packed the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City for the opening ceremony and first match of the expanded 48-team World Cup. The colourful ceremony featured music, cultural performances and fireworks before football officially returned to the global stage.
Mexico made a dream start to their campaign with a 2-0 victory over South Africa. Forward Julián Quiñones wrote his name into the history books by scoring the tournament’s first goal in the ninth minute after capitalising on a defensive mistake. The hosts controlled much of the encounter and doubled their lead in the 67th minute when veteran striker Raúl Jiménez headed home to secure all three points.
The match was not without controversy. South Africa’s hopes of mounting a comeback suffered major setbacks after Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off, reducing Bafana Bafana to nine men. Mexico also finished with ten players after César Montes received a late red card during stoppage time.
In the day’s second fixture, South Korea came from behind to defeat Czechia 2-1 in Guadalajara. Czech captain Ladislav Krejci broke the deadlock in the 59th minute, giving the Europeans an early advantage and silencing many of the Korean supporters inside the stadium.
South Korea responded strongly. Midfielder Hwang In-beom levelled the score in the 67th minute before turning provider 13 minutes later with a precise pass that allowed substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu to score the winning goal in the 80th minute. The victory completed an impressive comeback and placed the Koreans level on points with Mexico at the top of Group A.
Thursday’s Results
| Match | Score |
|---|---|
| Mexico vs South Africa | Mexico 2-0 South Africa |
| South Korea vs Czechia | South Korea 2-1 Czechia |
Goalscorers
| Match | Goals |
|---|---|
| Mexico 2-0 South Africa | Quiñones (9′), Jiménez (67′) |
| South Korea 2-1 Czechia | Krejci (59′), Hwang In-beom (67′), Oh Hyeon-gyu (80′) |
Following the opening round of matches, Mexico and South Korea lead Group A with three points each, while South Africa and Czechia remain without a point. The results set up an intriguing second round of fixtures as teams continue their quest for a place in the knockout stages of the biggest World Cup ever staged.
— Newspot Nigeria
