Group A Results
South Korea 2-1 Czech Republic
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
Friday Fixtures
Group B Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina – 10:00pm (EAT)
Mexico City, Mexico: The 2026 FIFA World Cup got off to an exciting start on Thursday night and Friday morning with a colourful opening ceremony, dramatic football action, and important victories for hosts Mexico and South Korea in Group A.
Before the football action, Mexico City staged a spectacular opening ceremony at the iconic Estadio Azteca. Colombian superstar Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy headlined the entertainment, performing the official World Cup song before a global audience.
Other performers included Lila Downs, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Los Ángeles Azules and Alejandro Fernández, who entertained thousands of fans inside the stadium.
World Cup ambassador Salma Hayek welcomed supporters from around the world as representatives of all 48 participating nations were introduced ahead of the tournament’s official kickoff.
Mexico Make Winning Start
The hosts then rewarded their supporters with a convincing 2-0 victory over South Africa.
Julián Quiñones etched his name into history by scoring the first goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup before veteran striker Raúl Jiménez added a second to secure all three points for El Tri.
The match also produced the tournament’s first disciplinary drama, with three red cards shown.
South Africa had Sphephelo Sithole and substitute Themba Zwane sent off, while Mexico finished with ten men after César Montes received a late red card.
The victory lifted Mexico to the top of Group A on goal difference.
South Korea Fight Back to win against Czechia
The second Group A fixture produced a spirited comeback as South Korea recovered from a goal down to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 at Estadio Guadalajara.
After a goalless first half, the Czechs took the lead in the 58th minute when defender Ladislav Krejčí headed home following a long throw-in.
South Korea responded strongly and equalised eight minutes later through Hwang In-beom, who calmly chipped the goalkeeper after being played through by Lee Kang-in.
The Koreans completed the turnaround in the 80th minute when Hwang turned provider, delivering a precise cross that Oh Hyeon-gyu converted from close range.
Hwang emerged as the match hero after scoring one goal and assisting another to inspire South Korea’s comeback victory.
Mora Makes History
The opening day also saw a World Cup milestone achieved when 17-year-old Gilberto Mora became the youngest Mexican and North American player ever to appear at a FIFA World Cup.
The teenager came off the bench during Mexico’s victory over South Africa to write his name into the tournament’s record books.
After the first round of Group A matches, Mexico lead the standings on goal difference ahead of South Korea, with both teams on three points. South Africa and the Czech Republic are yet to get off the mark.
Group A Standings
| Team | Points | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 3 | +2 |
| South Korea | 3 | +1 |
| Czech Republic | 0 | -1 |
| South Africa | 0 | -2 |
Attention now turns to Group B, where co-hosts Canada face Bosnia & Herzegovina on Friday night as the biggest World Cup in history continues to gather momentum.
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