Mexico made a dream start to the FIFA World Cup 2026, defeating South Africa 2-0 in the tournament's opening match at the iconic Azteca Stadium. In front of a capacity crowd of more than 80,000 fans, Mexico took an early lead through Julián Quiñones in the ninth minute. The striker, who finished as the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League this season, calmly found the net to ignite celebrations among the home supporters. Veteran forward Raúl Jiménez doubled Mexico's advantage in the 66th minute with a powerful header, scoring his first World Cup goal in three tournament appearances and moving level with Jared Borgetti on Mexico's all-time international scoring list.