Mexico ignited their FIFA World Cup 2026 party with a dominant 2-0 victory over nine-man South Africa on Thursday as the biggest ever edition of the global footballing showpiece kicked off at the iconic Estadio Azteca. Julian Quinones scored the opening goal of the tournament and veteran striker Raul Jimenez added a second as the co-hosts’ bid for qualification from Group A got off to smooth start. The match saw a total of three cards too; South Africa received two, finishing with only nine men after Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off, while Mexico’s Cesar Montes also saw red in stoppage time. For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, three red cards were shown in the opening match of a World Cup.

The Mexican-colored red, green and white smoke from pre-game fireworks had barely dissipated before Quinones fired the hosts into the lead on nine minutes, drilling a low shot through the legs of South Africa’s goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams.

A deafening roar cascaded down from the stands of the Azteca, the footballing cathedral that became the only stadium to host games at three different World Cups.

South Africa coach Hugo Broos had warned his players to be ready for the intimidating atmosphere created by a capacity 80,824 crowd at the imposing concrete arena.

But South Africa’s players looked to have a bad case of stage fright as Mexico’s fans  greeted each completed pass with a raucous chorus of “Ole!” in the opening minutes.

Sithole seemed particularly affected, being caught in possession trying to play out of the back for Quinones’ opening goal.

Sithole’s miserable afternoon ended with a 49th minute dismissal after bundling over Mexico’s Brian Gutierrez when clean through on goal.

Mexico rammed home their advantage in the 67th minute, with a fine counter attack culminating in Roberto Alvarado crossing for Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Jimenez to nod home at the far post.

It got worse for South Africa in the 84th minute when Zwane was dismissed after a VAR review for flinging an arm into the face of Alvarado.

There was still time for late drama when Mexican defender Cesar Montes was shown a red card for a clumsy challenge on Khulisa Mudau on the edge of the penalty area.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Featured Video Of The Day

IPL 2026 News | RCB Outplay CSK For 2nd Win On Trot, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co Suffer 3rd Loss

Phil Mickelson has been accused of “inappropriate contact” with a female golf-club employee, according to a report from Golf Digest.

The publication reported Thursday that Mickelson’s membership from The Farms Golf Club in San Diego was revoked after a female staffer accused him of “nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact” with her earlier this year. According to the report, which cites multiple sources with knowledge of the matter, Mickelson approached and made contact with the employee before he set out for a round of golf. The report says the employee rejected Mickelson’s advances and reported the incident to management.

According to Golf Digest‘s sources, the club immediately reviewed the incident and confronted Mickelson mid-round with the allegations. Mickelson was then asked to leave the property, which he did before the end of his round.

Mickelson, who is currently on leave from pro golf for a personal matter, declined to comment directly to Golf Digest, but a Mickelson spokesperson offered a brief statement about the alleged incident:

“Any misunderstanding has been cleared up. Phil continues to attend to a family health matter and is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf.”

Mickelson’s manager did not immediately respond to a text from GOLF.com seeking further comment.

In a statement to Golf Digest, The Farms confirmed that a member had been removed following an incident involving an employee but did not say whether the member was Mickelson. The statement read:

“The Farms Golf Club is committed to maintaining a golf club environment that is safe, respectful and reflects the highest standards of conduct. All members are required to adhere to our Code of Conduct, and any allegations of misconduct are taken seriously. Following a staff member report of member misconduct, the Club provided immediate and ongoing support to the staff member, conducted a thorough independent investigation of the incident and took decisive action. This individual is no longer a member of The Farms Golf Club.”

Mickelson missed the start of the LIV Golf season to tend to his personal issue. He returned for LIV’s South Africa event in March before announcing that he would be out for an extended period of time as he navigates a “family health matter.”

Mickelson, who is 55, sat out both the Masters and the PGA Championship this year. It was only the second time that Mickelson did not tee it up at Augusta National since 1995. Mickelson also missed the 2022 Masters after he made controversial comments about LIV Golf’s Saudi financiers.

Canelo Alvarez will make his ring return in September as he attempts to regain the WBC super-middleweight world title against Christian Mbilli, and boxing icon Roy Jones Jr has explained what he believes will prove to be pivotal in the outcome of the fight.

Alvarez suffered an injury when he lost his undisputed throne to Terence Crawford back in September and was left sidelined when all four titles were reassigned, due to Crawford’s retirement and subsequent relinquishment.

However, following a successful elbow surgery, Alvarez will jump back into an immediate title shot against Mbilli, who was elevated to full WBC world champion after defending the interim belt against Lester Martinez on the Canelo-Crawford undercard.

Whilst Canelo is undeniably a legend of the super-middleweight scene, the 35-year-old has shown signs of fading in recent outings, leaving fans questioning whether he still has what it takes to re-establish himself as the best 168lber on the planet.

Speaking with Boxing News, Jones Jr said that the bout against Mbilli will come down to how much hunger the Mexican has left, declaring that Canelo, at his optimum, will be too much for the best version of the new champion.

“That is a good fight to look at. I like Mbilli, but Canelo is still better than what people give him credit for, so I ain’t going to say that Mbilli is going to beat him.

“I know that Mbilli is a good fighter, but I haven’t seen Mbilli really prove himself [at the elite level] yet. I have seen what Canelo can do, so a hungry Canelo will beat Mbilli, but if he ain’t hungry, then Mbilli is gonna beat him.

“If he is hungry enough, he will win the fight, it all depends on what Canelo’s hunger level is.

Advertisement

Alvarez vs. Mbill takes place on Saturday, September 12, topping a ‘Mexico vs. The World’ bill which takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

South Africa’s campaign at the World Cup 2026 got off to the worst possible start as they were beaten by co-hosts Mexico and ended the match with nine men following two straight red cards.

Both came in the second half with Bafana Bafana already losing 1-0 thanks to Julian Quinones’ goal in the eight minute of the game. Sphephelo ‘Yaya’ Sithole was the first player to be dismissed after catching Brian Gutierrez on the edge of the South African penalty area and denying a goal scoring opportunity.

That decision was a clear one but the second red card, which came in the 84th minute, was more controversial.

As Mexico looked to work their way into the box from the left wing, South Africa’s Themba Zwane got into a grappling contest with Roberto Alvarado. Zwane came round the back of the Mexican and forced his left arm into the face of Alvarado who went to ground clutching his head.

Referee Wilton Sampaio was called over to the pitchside monitor by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and asked to look at replays of the incident.

He saw a slap from Zwane, which became clearer from the referee’s body cam footage later, and decided that the South African deserved a red card for violent conduct.

This was the first time a team had received two red cards in a World Cup match since Portugal and Netherlands both had two players dismissed against each other in the 2006 round of 16.

“I think the decision is extremely harsh,” claimed Ally McCoist on ITV’s coverage of the game with the commentator describing Zwane’s movement as natural from the position he was in.

In the US coverage of the game, former USMNT star Landon Donovan had a similar outlook and said: “That’s a harsh red card, I can’t see that being a red card.”

However, that wasn’t the final moment of controversy as Mexico found themselves reduced to 10-men in the dying stages of the match.

Left-back Cesar Montes cynically stopped a darting run from Khuliso Mudau as he attempted to drive into the penalty area from the right. Montes stuck out a leg and brough Mudau to ground and was amazed as the referee pulled out a third straight red card of the game.

ITV’s American rules analyst and VAR expert, Christina Unkel, explained that there wasn’t clear evidence for VAR to decide that the referee had made a mistake and, as such, Montes was dismissed for denying a goalscoring opportunity.

This was the seventh time there have been three or more red cards in a World Cup game and the first time in an opener.

All three players, Sithole, Zwane and Montes will now miss their nation’s next match but Fifa holds the right to extend the ban or add any other sanctions to the ban if they deem necessary.

That means that Sithole and Zwane will miss the next match against Czechia on June 18 and Montes will be unavailable for Mexico’s game against South Korea on June 19.

Mexico striker Julián Quiñones made history on Thursday by scoring the first goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the host nation took an early lead against South Africa in the tournament’s opening match.

The 29-year-old forward found the net in the ninth minute at the famous Estadio Azteca after taking advantage of a defensive mistake. He calmly struck the ball from the edge of the penalty area, leaving South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams with no chance.

His goal became the first scored in the newly expanded 48-team World Cup, which is being hosted by Mexico, United States and Canada.

Mexico began the match strongly and controlled much of the early play in front of a passionate home crowd. Veteran striker Raúl Jiménez nearly opened the scoring in the fifth minute, but Williams produced an excellent save to keep South Africa level.

However, the pressure eventually paid off. Four minutes later, Quiñones seized on a costly error by the South African defence and confidently fired home to send the stadium into celebration.

The strike instantly secured Quiñones a place in World Cup history as the first goalscorer of the 2026 tournament.

South Africa tried to fight back and enjoyed spells of possession, but they struggled to break down Mexico’s organised defence.

The game also became more physical as both teams battled for control in midfield. South Africa midfielder Teboho Mokoena received a yellow card in the 17th minute for a late challenge, while Mexico’s Brian Gutiérrez was also booked six minutes later.

For Quiñones, it was a moment he will never forget, as his name became the first to be written into the record books of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

At the hallowed Azteca Stadium, Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy had the spectators out of their seats in the opening ceremony for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday ahead of the opening match between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa. The 48-team tournament is also being hosted by the United States and Canada and will feature 104 games, culminating in the final in New Jersey on July 19. Dancers twirled around a giant model of the World Cup trophy while fireworks went off in the historic 80,000-capacity stadium which hosted the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals and has been renovated for this year’s tournament.

In the highlight of the ceremony, Colombian star Shakira and Burna Boy performed “Dai Dai”, the official song of the tournament, bringing roars from the crowd.

J Balvin and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli were among the other performers before kickoff as the noise levels ramped up.

“It’s already a party in Mexico,” Ingrid Orozco, a 40-year-old supporter, told AFP. “It’s amazing,” said Gustavo Ramírez, 19.

While there was a festive atmosphere inside the stadium, there were chaotic scenes in the centre of Mexico City where thousands of fans pushed and shoved as they attempted to enter the official World Cup fan zone shortly before the 1800 GMT kickoff.

Access to the fan zone in Zocala plaza was hampered by metal barriers erected in recent days to prevent protesting teachers reaching the area.

“Stop pushing and shoving, there are children here, you’re like animals!” a city official shouted through a megaphone as he tried to control access to the venue where the opening game was to be shown on a giant screen.

Some fans threw water bottles and hurled insults at police as well as chanting in support of the Mexican team. 

“It’s crazy,” said Javier Maciel, a 25-year-old fan. “There could have been better organization.”

The local government announced on social media that the site was “full” and suggested fans go to other plazas.

President Claudia Sheinbaum had been expected to watch the game at the fan zone but cast doubt on her presence following days of protests in the area by teachers demanding pay rises.

With AFP inputs

Featured Video Of The Day

IPL 2026 | Delhi Capitals Wins By 6 Wickets Against Mumbai Indians: Redemption For Sameer Rizvi

South Africa have never qualified to the knockout stage of a FIFA World Cup. ‘Bafana Bafana’ came very close in both the 2002 and 2010 editions, but narrowly missed out. This time, though, they will fancy their chances. With the World Cup expanded to 48 teams, the knockout stage will now begin with the Round of 32. This means that not just the top two of each group, but also the eight best third-placed teams will qualify.

With Mexico, Czechia and South Korea in Group A, it is certainly not an impossible task for South Africa.

IRVINE, Calif. – “Anything could’ve happened in that moment, to be honest,” U.S. men’s national team midfielder Tyler Adams acknowledged.

Two nights before the team’s all-encompassing, high-stakes World Cup journey on home soil would begin, Adams was glued to a big screen at the team’s hotel near the southern California coastline. He was surrounded by a group of his teammates, each of whom erupted as the New York Knicks completed a 29-game comeback against the San Antonio Spurs and put themselves one game away from winning the NBA Finals for the first time in more than five decades. No one celebrated harder than Adams, though.

“I blacked out within it all,” he recalled the next morning.

Amidst the joyous chaos was a hint of worry – much like the USMNT faithful watching the video, his teammates were hoping one of the team’s most vital players did not get injured during the sequence. He arrived for Thursday’s training, their final one before Friday’s World Cup opener against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium, in one piece and took part in a full training session.

The New York state native has been vocally following the Knicks’ run as early as the USMNT’s World Cup roster reveal event on May 26, the day after they swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. He said, though, he’s been a part of the Knicks’ long-suffering fanbase for some time.

“I have group chats with me and my boys from back home growing up and we’ve always been Knicks fans and we’ve never been this close, so it’s exciting,” he said.

The length of time that Adams has been a Knicks fan, though, is possibly up for debate – his teammate Weston McKennie said at the roster reveal that “behind closed doors, he’s not a Knicks fan,” something Adams called a “wild statement” at the time. Though several members of the U.S. team hail from the New York area or are rooting for the Knicks without geographical ties, Adams said there are a handful of haters in the group – not that he minds.

“Brenden Aaronson. The worst,” Adams said of the Philadelphia Union academy product and local sports fan. “He’s a Sixers fan. He can’t say anything. Haji Wright, big hater right now but I love all that energy. It’s good.”

Adams, though, is hoping the Knicks’ impressive run offers a bit of inspiration for a U.S. team hoping to capture the nation’s attention in the same way.

“It’s pretty captivating,” he said. “I think them kind of being the underdog coming out of the east and doing something special as they’re doing right now, I mean, I take inspiration, but I’m a New York Knicks fan, not everyone’s a New York Knicks fans.”

The USMNT open their World Cup on Friday against Paraguay and will continue group stage play against Australia on June 19 and Turkiye on June 25.

Japan international Wataru Endo has announced his retirement from international football, with a persistent foot injury ruling the Liverpool midfielder out of the World Cup.

The problem first emerged during a match against Sunderland on 11 February, marking his final club appearance of the season.

Despite playing 45 minutes in a 1-0 World Cup warm-up victory over Iceland, his recovery has not progressed as hoped.

Writing on X, Endo conveyed his mixed emotions.

“I will be leaving the World Cup squad. Since my injury, I’ve done everything I could, so I have no regrets,” he stated. “Of course I’m frustrated at not being able to participate in this World Cup.”

He added: “But more than that, I’m proud to have led this team as captain since the Qatar World Cup and to see it grow into a group that can naturally talk about the goal of winning the World Cup.”

Concluding, Endo confirmed: “With this action, I will be retiring from the national team. From now on, I’ll continue to support the Japan national team as a fan alone.”

Japan are due to play their first match of the tournament when they face the Netherlands on Sunday.

They will be hoping to make a positive start without Endo, and showed their undoubted quality by beating England 1-0 in a friendly at Wembley back in March.

Japan are also in the same group as Sweden and Tunisia as they set their sights on reaching the knockout stages.

They have reached the round of 16 in the last two editions of the World Cup, and came through a difficult group four years ago that contained Spain and Germany.

Japan are yet to make it to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Image credit: Manu Bhaker’s X handle

NEW DELHI: Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker will compete in two events at the upcoming Asian Games after being named in India’s 30-member shooting squad announced by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on Thursday.The Asian Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, with India aiming to build on its strong showing at the previous edition in Hangzhou.Manu secured her place in the women’s 25m pistol event by finishing second in the selection trials. She was also included in the women’s 10m air pistol event despite finishing seventh in the latest trials, with selectors backing her experience and proven ability to perform on the biggest stages.Besides Manu, three other shooters have been selected for two events — Vidarsa K. Vinod (women’s 10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3 positions), former world champion Rudrankksh Patil (men’s 10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3 positions), and Esha Singh (women’s 10m air pistol and 25m pistol).A notable decision by the NRAI was to field only one shooter, Anish Bhanwala, in the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol event. While most events will feature three Indian shooters competing for both individual and team medals, the federation decided against filling all available spots in rapid-fire pistol.“While all selected athletes successfully cleared the stringent qualification slots laid down by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, the final roster stands at 30 athletes (15 Men and 15 Women) due to strict dynamic quota caps enforced by the Games’ Organising Committee,” said an NRAI statement.The Sports Ministry’s guidelines state that only athletes with realistic medal prospects should be selected for the Asian Games.“Following extensive deliberations and a detailed event-wise assessment, the Committee identified a select group of athletes capable of competing across multiple disciplines. This strategic approach enables India to maximise participation across all available events while maintaining the strongest possible medal prospects in both individual and team competitions,” the NRAI statement added.NRAI secretary general Pawankumar Singh said the federation had chosen the strongest squad possible.“We have selected the best team possible,” Singh told PTI.“The most significant decision was in the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol event, where we have chosen not to send a full team. We are targeting only the individual medal event because we could not identify enough shooters with realistic medal prospects to field a team,” he said.Explaining Manu’s inclusion in two events, Singh added: “We could select only 30 shooters — 15 men and 15 women. Yes, Manu is currently ranked seventh after the recent 10m air pistol trials, but considering her experience and ability to perform in finals, she was the best option for inclusion in both the 10m and 25m pistol events.”“Her (Manu’s) ranking may be seventh in the 10m air pistol, but the gap in scores between her and those ranked above her is not significant,” he said.The squad was finalised during a selection committee meeting in Dehradun on June 8.NRAI president Kalikesh Singh Deo said the depth of talent in Indian shooting made the selection process particularly challenging.“Selecting this team was a challenging task given the exceptional depth and quality of talent in Indian shooting today. The final squad reflects the strength, depth and versatility of Indian shooting. We are confident that this team will represent India with distinction and make the nation proud in Aichi-Nagoya.”Squad: Rifle (Men) — 10m air rifle: Parth Rakesh Mane, Himanshu Dhillon, Rudrankksh Patil. 50m rifle 3-positions: Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Niraj Kumar, Rudrankksh Patil. (Women) 10m air rifle: Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar, Vidarsa K Vinod. 50m rifle 3-positions: Ashi Chouksey, Vidarsa K Vinod, Tilottama Sen. (10m air rifle mixed team) Parth Rakesh Mane and Elavenil Valarivan.Pistol (Men) — 10m air pistol: Kedarling B. Uchaganve, Gaurav, Kamaljeet. 25m rapid fire: Anish Bhanwala. (Women) 10m air pistol: Suruchi, Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker. 25m sports pistol: Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker, Rahi Sarnobat. (10m air pistol mixed team) Kedarling B. Uchaganve and Suruchi.Shotgun: (Men) — Trap: Kynan Chenai, Ahvar Rizvi, Shapath Bharadwaj. (Women) Neeru, Manisha Keer, Aashima Ahlawat. Skeet (Men) Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Bhavtegh Singh Gill, Mairaj Ahmad Khan. (Women) Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Raiza Dhillon, Maheshwari Chauhan.