US Soccer Growth and Mexico’s Strong Start at 2026 FIFA World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially begun, with Talksport presenter Simon Jordan noting the event’s significant impact both globally and in the U.S. Jordan pointed out that soccer has become the third most popular sport in America, moving ahead of traditional sports like baseball and hockey.

The World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, is expected to break records with a projected 6.5 million tickets sold; this surpasses challenges faced by previous tournaments. The opening match was held in Mexico City at Estadio Azteca, where Mexico triumphed over South Africa with a 2-0 victory in the first of 104 matches.

From the start, Mexico showed dominance. They scored their first goal in the ninth minute with a crucial maneuver. A pass from South Africa’s goalie was intercepted by Erik Lira, allowing Julián Quiñones to make a decisive right-footed shot, leading to an overwhelming reaction from the crowd.

South Africa’s setback continued as Yaya Sithole received a red card in the 50th minute for a foul that halted Brian Gutiérrez’s breakaway. Reduced to 10 players, South Africa faced enhanced difficulties. Mexico, taking advantage of their numerical superiority, scored their second goal in the 67th minute. Raúl Jiménez executed a header from Roberto Alvarado’s perfect cross, marking Jiménez’s first World Cup goal after participating in four editions.

Complications grew for South Africa with another red card in the 84th minute, and Mexico also played their part in foul play, earning a red card in the 92nd minute. This means South Africa’s Yaya Sithole and Themba Zwane, along with Mexico’s César Montes, will miss their upcoming matches against Czechia in Atlanta and Korea in Guadalajara, respectively.

Mexico’s record of winning 15 out of 23 instances where they scored first was reinforced with this victory. The opening ceremonies held at the renamed Mexico City Stadium highlighted all 48 competing countries, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino showcasing the World Cup Trophy. Mexico aims to improve from their performance in Qatar, where they failed to advance past the group stage for the first time since 1978, aside from their absences in 1982 and 1990.