The FIFA World Cup 2026 got off to a dramatic and chaotic start, with the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa producing three straight red cards, nearly matching the total number shown across the entire 2022 edition.

Mexico secured a 2-0 victory, but the match was overshadowed by a flurry of dismissals that sparked intense debate among fans.

South Africa were reduced to nine men after Yaya Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off in the 49th and 84th minutes respectively, while Mexico’s Cesar Montes also received his marching orders deep into stoppage time.

The string of red cards quickly put Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio under the spotlight, with social media users jokingly hailing him as the game's ‘Player of the Match.’

The encounter marked the first World Cup opening fixture to witness three send-offs, all of them straight red cards rather than second-yellow dismissals.

The last World Cup match to feature as many expulsions was the infamous 2006 clash between Portugal and the Netherlands, which saw four players sent off, a tournament record that still stands two decades later.

The suspensions mean Sithole and Zwane will miss South Africa’s upcoming group-stage clash against the Czech Republic, while Montes is set to sit out Mexico’s next match against South Korea.

Unsurprisingly, the extraordinary scenes triggered a flood of memes online, with football fans turning the referee's busy evening and the unprecedented disciplinary drama into viral social media content.

Here’s another hilarious one that will tickle your funny bones. 

Hold on, there’s more to this game:

A fan page took a jibe at the show of red cards via a unique meme:

Mexico cruise past South Africa

 

While the red-card drama grabbed most of the attention, Mexico were comfortably the better side throughout the contest.

The co-hosts wasted little time in asserting their dominance, with Julian Quiñones opening the scoring in the ninth minute to give the home fans an early reason to celebrate.

South Africa struggled to create meaningful chances and rarely threatened the Mexican defence.

Mexico eventually put the result beyond doubt in the 67th minute when veteran striker Raul Jimenez doubled the lead.

The two-goal cushion reflected Mexico’s superiority as they controlled possession, dictated the tempo and limited South Africa to only a handful of attacking moments.

The 2-0 victory gave the co-hosts a perfect start to their World Cup campaign.

 

Can Mexico make a deep run?

Mexico entered the tournament carrying the weight of history. Despite being one of the most consistent World Cup participants, El Tri have never advanced beyond the quarter-finals, achieving that feat only in 1970 and 1986, both editions hosted on home soil.

With the 2026 World Cup once again being staged partly in Mexico, supporters will hope home advantage can inspire a breakthrough campaign. For South Africa, the tournament marks a return to football’s biggest stage for the first time since they hosted the World Cup in 2010.

However, the defeat leaves them under pressure ahead of their remaining group fixtures. Meanwhile, Mexico have taken an important first step in a competition that now features 48 teams. Thirty-two nations will progress to the knockout rounds, where every match becomes do-or-die and a single defeat ends the dream of lifting football’s most coveted trophy.