LOS ANGELES — Mexico opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over South Africa on Saturday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, delivering a result that will delight their passionate fanbase but also raise questions about their defensive solidity heading into the group stage.

Playing in front of a near-capacity crowd of roughly 90,000 — the majority draped in green — Mexico took the lead through a first-half header from Raúl Jiménez before South Africa levelled with a composed finish from Percy Tau early in the second period. The equaliser briefly stunned the stadium and injected genuine uncertainty into a fixture Mexico had been widely expected to win comfortably.

The winner came with 17 minutes remaining, when a driving run from Jesús 'Tecatito' Corona drew a foul on the edge of the box. Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano stepped up and curled a precise free-kick into the top-left corner, sending the green-clad stands into delirium. El Tri held on through a nervy closing spell in which South Africa threatened twice on the counter.

The result places Mexico top of Group A after Matchday 1, although the remaining fixtures will determine how the standings settle. South Africa, competing in their first World Cup since 2010, will draw encouragement from their ability to equalise and press a full-strength Mexico side, suggesting they will not be passive opponents for the remaining group games.

The match was watched by hundreds of millions globally and formed part of the opening weekend of the first 48-team World Cup jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico — a tournament already generating record commercial and broadcast interest. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who earlier this week addressed ongoing visa access concerns for fans travelling to the United States, attended the match in person alongside senior tournament officials.