Red Card Frenzy in World Cup 2026 Opener: Mexico vs South Africa
June 12, 2026 · Carmen Pérez
The World Cup 2026 opener saw a record number of red cards, with Mexico defeating South Africa 2-0 amidst a chaotic second half.
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The opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 between Mexico and South Africa turned into an unexpected spectacle, marked not by the quality of play but by the unprecedented number of red cards. Hosted at the iconic Azteca Stadium, Mexico claimed a 2-0 victory over South Africa, but it was the referee's decisions that stole the headlines. Brazilian referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio issued three straight red cards during the second half, one to Mexico's Cesar Montes and two to South Africa's Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane. This flurry of dismissals set a new record for the number of red cards in a World Cup opener, overshadowing the mere four send-offs recorded in the 2018 and 2022 tournaments combined. Despite the chaos, the all-time record for red cards in a single World Cup match—set during the infamous "Battle of Nuremberg" in 2006 with four ejections—remains unbroken. The match will be remembered for its historic disciplinary measures rather than the scoreline.
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