In brief
- Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 in the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
- South Korea won their opener 2-1 against Czechia in Guadalajara.
South Korea got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start by beating the Czech Republic 2-1 on Friday AEST after finally converting some of the many chances they created.
The Koreans joined Mexico on three points at the top of the pool after the co-hosts defeated nine-man South Africa 2-0 in the tournament opener in Mexico City.
Until the 80th-minute mark, it seemed that the Czechs would punish the Koreans' wastefulness, but substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu scored the decisive goal in a Guadalajara stadium that was far from full.
Son Heung-min's Koreans had dominated the first half but were unable to find the net.
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The former Tottenham star blasted one effort over the bar before making a driving run to his left and evading two Czech defenders, only to shoot wide.
An entertaining second half began with the Czechs scoring against the run of play as Ladislav Krejci rose at the front post to power a header past Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu.
Hwang In-beom finally made the Korean pressure pay with a clever equaliser as he faked a shot and then caressed the ball over Czech keeper Matek Kovar on 67 minutes.
The Czechs had a goal disallowed before Hwang added to his goal with an assist, crossing from the right for Oh to slot home.
When the final whistle sounded after a frantic end to the game, Son sank to the turf in joy.
South Korea will face Mexico next Friday morning, Australian time, in Guadalajara. The Czechs play the South Africans in Atlanta on the same day.
Contentious red card hat trick in Mexico v South Africa opener
Mexico got the FIFA World Cup party started as the co-hosts swept South Africa aside 2-0 in a scrappy encounter that saw three red cards shown.
More than 80,000 fans packed out Mexico City's Estadio Azteca for the Group A match, which will be remembered for the flurry of dismissals that saw South Africa reduced to nine men and a controversial call against Mexico's César Montes.
Mexico dominated from the get-go, with Julián Quiñones — who was awarded player of the match — setting the tone early with a strike from the edge of the penalty area in the ninth minute.
Veteran 35-year-old striker Raúl Jiménez added a second — his first World Cup goal in four tournaments — after nodding a header in the 67th minute, removing any lingering tension for the home crowd.
South Africa were reduced to 10 men when Sphephelo Sithole was sent off early in the second half, with his teammate Themba Zwane following him off the pitch in the 84th minute before Montes was dismissed in the dying moments.
Montes was dismissed after he stuck a leg out and knocked down South African attacker Khuliso Mudau, a call that fired up SBS guest and former Ghana international Kevin-Prince Boateng.
"That’s a joke, that’s a joke red card for me," he said on SBS's post-game coverage.
"Maybe we can argue, maybe we can fight about it, but I’m telling you that’s not a red card."
Under FIFA rules, a red card results in an automatic one-game suspension for the offending player, meaning Montes will miss Mexico's second group match against South Korea.
Fouls can be treated more harshly if the act is considered to be a deliberate act to stop a clear goal-scoring opportunity, as was deemed the case for Montes.
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But Boateng said other defenders were in the immediate vicinity.
"It's not a clear opportunity to score. It's a foul, it’s a yellow card, but you just robbed the captain of the Mexican team for the next game," he said.
"He's going wide, he’s not going towards goal, and at the end of the day, there’s another two players in the middle who can defend his shot, his cross, whatever. It’s not a clear red card.
"This is where I suppose VAR should step in and say 'that’s a mistake'."
An opening ceremony featuring Shakira and Burna Boy performing the World Cup anthem had pumped up the crowd even further before Mexico swiftly got down to business.
The fixture was a repeat of the 2010 tournament opener, when South Africa held Mexico to a 1-1 draw in Johannesburg, yet this encounter was played out in a stadium with World Cup history stamped all over it.
The Azteca has witnessed some of the tournament's most iconic moments, from Maradona's "Hand of God" and 1986 heroics to Pele's all-conquering Brazil side of 1970.
— With additional reporting by Agence France-Presse and Reuters news agencies.
You can watch all 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ live, free and exclusive on SBS, SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.
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