Mexico began their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in style, delivering a dominant performance as one of the joint hosts in their capital city.
Al Qadsiah forward Julián Quiñones opened the scoring in the 9th minute, putting the CONCACAF giants ahead. Mexico’s intense pressing play forced South Africa into a turnover, allowing the 29-year-old to slot the ball past Ronwen Williams with precision.
Although Quiñones found the net, the standout contributions came from star striker Raul Jiménez and creative midfielder Brian Gutiérrez, whose presence in the box continuously troubled the South African defence.
Both attackers penetrated Bafana Bafana’s penalty area three times each during the first half—surpassing South Africa’s total of two entries within the same period.
With such a commanding display at their historic home venue, Javier Aguirre’s side might just emerge as an unexpected dark horse in this World Cup campaign.
Photo Credit: CARL DE SOUZA - AFP
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