Mexico vs. South Africa World Cup Opener Called Dirtiest in Tournament History

Mexico City — The 2026 World Cup opener between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday has been labeled the dirtiest match in tournament history after referee Wilton Sampaio issued three red cards, the most in a single World Cup game since the infamous “Battle of Nuremberg” in 2006.

Mexico won 2-0 at the Estadio Azteca, with goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez. But the match was overshadowed by the dismissals of South Africa’s Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane, and Mexico captain César Montes.

Sithole became the first player sent off in a World Cup opener since Bolivia’s Marco Etcheverry 32 years ago, receiving a straight red card in the 49th minute for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Zwane, 36, was shown a second yellow card in the 84th minute for violent conduct after a VAR review, making him the second-oldest player ever sent off in a World Cup, behind only U.S. defender Fernando Clavijo (38) in 1994.

Montes was dismissed in stoppage time for a professional foul, also deemed a denial of a goalscoring opportunity. The three red cards surpassed the previous record of two in a single World Cup match, set when Cameroon beat Argentina 1-0 with nine men in 1990.

The match also had the most red cards of any World Cup game since Portugal’s 1-0 win over the Netherlands in the 2006 quarterfinals, which featured four reds and 12 yellows.

Remarkably, only 23 fouls were committed in the match, making it a game of clumsy challenges rather than deliberate aggression. By comparison, the 1986 World Cup match between Mexico and Paraguay saw 78 fouls in just 42 minutes of play.

South Africa coach Hugo Broos questioned the second red card, saying: “The first red card, we have to accept it. The second one we can discuss. The Mexican player blocked my player. I think it was a bit of a soft foul.”

With 104 matches remaining in the 2026 tournament, the record of 28 red cards set in 2006 (when only 32 teams participated) is already under serious threat.