World Cup Roundup: Mexico Breaks One Of Its Curses, South Korea Completes Comeback

The first day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup did not disappoint. Curses were broken in Mexico City, as were the hearts of the Bafana Bafana faithful.

Here is everything you might have missed from Day 1 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup:

Mexico vs. South Africa

• Mexico claimed its first-ever opening-day match at a men’s World Cup with a 2-0 win over South Africa on Thursday at Mexico City Stadium. Prior to Thursday’s match, Mexico was 0W-2D-5L in opening-day matches at the World Cup.
• Three red cards were given in Thursday’s match, marking the first time ever that the opening match of the World Cup saw three red cards given. It was also the first World Cup match with three red cards since Croatia vs Australia in 2006.

In the 2022 World Cup, the entire tournament saw four red cards total. (Photo by Tom Weller/picture alliance via Getty Images)

• Mexico remains unbeaten in World Cup matches at Mexico City Stadium, now with a 6W-2D-0L record all-time. It is also still unbeaten at home in World Cup group stage matches all-time, now 5W-2D-0L.
• Raúl Jiménez scored his first career World Cup goal. He is now up to 46 goals for the Mexican national team, tied with Jared Borgetti for the second-most in team history (Javier “Chicharito” Hernández has the most with 52).
• Gilberto became Mexico’s youngest player ever to appear in a World Cup match at 17 years, 240 days old, and the youngest Concacaf player to appear in a World Cup game, outranking fellow Mexican Manuel Rosas, who was 18 in the 1930 World Cup.

Mexico vs South Africa Extended Highlights | 2026 FIFA World Cup™

South Africa vs. Czechia

• South Korea came back from down 1-0 to win its eighth all-time World Cup match. Seven of its eight World Cup wins have come against UEFA opponents.
• Hwang In-Beom became the first South Korean player to score and assist in the same game at a World Cup since 1994, and the third to do so since 1986.

(Photo by Ulises RUIZ / AFP via Getty Images)

• Czechia continues to find success from set pieces, scoring the first goal of the match from a set piece. Czechia scored 10 of its 26 goals in World Cup qualifying from set pieces.
• Czechia’s lone goal was its first in a World Cup since June 12, 2006, nearly one year to the date.
• Czechia’s unbeaten streak ends at six matches. It entered the tournament on a six-match unbeaten streak at 4W-2D-0L.

South Korea vs Czechia Highlights | 2026 FIFA World Cup™

BEST OF THE DAY

Assist Of The Day

Raúl Jiménez waited 12 years for his first World Cup goal, and his Mexico teammate Roberto Alvarado made sure he didn’t have to work too hard for it. The 27-year-old Chivas winger saw Jiménez calling for the ball at the far post and delivered a perfectly-weighted cross with his favored left foot, and Jiménez just had to place the ball outside the reach of South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

Save Of The Day

South Korea walked away with all three points against Czechia thanks to some late-match heroics from Kim Seung-gyu. After conceding two goals — one of which was disallowed — Seung-gyu picked himself back up and made this save from point-blank range that kept South Korea out in front through the final whistle. 

Goal Of The Day

When Lee Kang-in played Hwang In-beom through, he had three defenders closing in on him. By the time he controlled the ball, he had the whole right side of the goal open. How? A fake shot that fooled Czechia’s entire back line. That bit of skill was the difference between one and three points for South Korea on Thursday.

Moment Of The Day

Raúl Jiménez was overcome with emotion after giving Mexico a 2-0 lead over South Africa. Not only was it Jiménez’s first-ever World Cup goal, but it was in tribute to his late father Raúl Jiménez Vega. It’s a moment he and El Tri fans will surely never forget.