MEXICO CITY – Mexico began its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in winning fashion, defeating South Africa 2-0 before a packed crowd at Estadio Azteca in the tournament's opening match.

Following a spectacular opening ceremony, the host nation delivered a solid performance to earn the first three points of the expanded World Cup, which features 48 teams and is being jointly hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

Backed by more than 87,000 supporters, Mexico controlled much of the match and demonstrated its superiority throughout the evening. The home side created several scoring opportunities and ultimately secured a comfortable victory that fueled optimism among fans.

South Africa showed determination and defensive discipline but struggled to create meaningful chances against a Mexican side eager to make a strong first impression on home soil.

Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was one of South Africa's standout performers, making several key saves that prevented an even larger margin of defeat.

Beyond the result, the atmosphere inside Estadio Azteca once again highlighted the venue's legendary status in world football. Fans celebrated throughout the match, turning the stadium into a sea of green as Mexico launched its quest for a deep World Cup run.

The victory also marked the official beginning of a historic FIFA World Cup that will feature 104 matches across three host nations.

Attention now turns to the tournament's next opening celebrations, which will take place in the United States and Canada, completing an unprecedented trio of inaugural events for the first three-country World Cup in history.

For Mexico, however, the journey could not have started much better: a victory, a festive atmosphere, and the dream of making history on home soil.