From a record-setting three-red-card opener in Mexico to South Korea’s fever-stricken victory in Guadalajara, the 2026 World Cup has already delivered history. Now, all eyes turn to Toronto as Canada prepares its first men’s World Cup match on home soil.
The largest World Cup ever officially kicked off Thursday with immediate drama. Two Group A matches launched a 39-day, 104-game tournament spanning Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Both games showcased the unpredictability expected from 48 teams. For Canadian supporters waiting for their national team’s debut, opening day was a mix of spectacle and early scouting intelligence.
Mexico’s historic win comes with record discipline failure
Everything began at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Over 80,000 fans filled the stadium for a curtain-raiser debuted with music by Shakira and Maná. The match between Mexico and South Africa quickly became the most chaotic opener the tournament has seen.
The game started calmly. In the ninth minute, Erik Lira dispossessed a South African defender, and winger Julián Quiñones slotted the ball through goalkeeper Ronwen Williams’ legs for the tournament’s first goal. The second goal carried deep emotion. Raúl Jiménez, who fractured his skull in a terrifying 2020 collision while at Wolverhampton, rose to head home his first World Cup goal and left the pitch in tears.
Yet the story traveling fastest was the discipline collapse. Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio issued three red cards—more than any World Cup opener ever and the first trio in two decades. South Africa lost Sphephelo Sithole early and Themba Zwane later after video review confirmed a swipe at Roberto Alvarado’s face. Mexico’s César Montes was dismissed late for stopping a breakaway. All three players will miss their next group match.
For co-hosts, the result mattered as much as the chaos. Javier Aguirre’s team secured its first World Cup opener victory after five losses and two draws, spotlighting 17-year-old Gilberto Mora, one of the world’s brightest young midfielders. The 2-0 win with a clean sheet was Mexico’s most convincing World Cup performance in years.
South Korea proves dark-horse potential despite illness
- Ranked 25th, South Korea fell behind 38th-ranked Czechia before rallying 2–1 in Guadalajara.
- Lee Kang-in delivered a 25-pass sequence leading to Hwang In-beom’s equalizer—one of the longest build-ups to a goal in World Cup history.
- Souček’s 77th-minute header was ruled offside after review, erasing Czechia’s lead.
- Substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu, playing despite a 38°C fever, scored the winner on Hwang’s low cross.
- Captain Son Heung-min now joins Hong Myung-bo as the only two players to appear at four World Cups for South Korea.
South Korea finished with 15 shots versus Czechia’s eight, looking like genuine dark horses. The win marked a milestone for Son, now one of only two South Koreans at four World Cups.
Group A wide open: Canada’s debut awaits
Mexico and South Korea now sit level at three points in Group A, with the hosts ahead only on goal difference. South Africa and Czechia face suspensions and selection crises after their losses.
For Canadian fans, Thursday was the warm-up. Jesse Marsch’s team begins Friday at a sold-out BMO Field in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina—the first men’s World Cup match on Canadian soil. Canada, drawn in Group B with Bosnia, Qatar, and Switzerland, will play its remaining group games at BC Place in Vancouver.
After three co-host nations and heavyweights took the stage, Canada is eager to announce itself before a home crowd that waited a generation for this moment.
Opening day proved this expanded World Cup will be loud, fast, and full of surprises. Three red cards, a tearful redemption, a fever-stricken winner, and a 25-pass masterpiece arrived before Canada even kicked a ball. The hosts couldn’t have asked for a more electric overture to a tournament that, for five weeks, belongs partly to them.