World Cup 2026: Day 2 – Friday 12 June: Mexico and South Korea off the mark, Canada and USA due to take their bow

 

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially underway, and what a night of action it was yesterday. Two games, five goals and three red cards – all in one match!

Today promises to be equally eventful, as the other two co-hosts kick off their tournament.

 

Yesterday’s results:

Mexico 2-0 South Africa

One of the more memorable opening matches to a World Cup in recent memory. A reverse fixture to the first game in South Africa in 2010, but with a much different outcome.

After a glamorous opening ceremony featuring music artists such as J Balvin, Burna Boy, Danny Ocean and FIFA’s favourite Shakira, Mexico started on the front foot and could’ve found themselves in front after five minutes. Talismanic striker Raul Jimenez, who has just secured a return to Wolves in time for the new season, hit a left-footed half-volley which was well saved by Bafana Bafana keeper Ronwen Williams.

The hosts deservedly went in front minutes later. Julian Quiñones had the honour of scoring the first goal at this summer’s tournament, placing a shot through the legs of Williams following a mistake from Sphehpelo Sithole.

It was the start that 72,000 fans inside the iconic Estadio Azteca would have been dreaming of, and Quiñones, who notched 33 goals in all competitions for Al Qadisah in Saudi Arabia in 2025/26, gave them reason to celebrate. Quiñones also hit the base of the post late in the first half, epitomising the Mexico dominance.

This dominance continued in the second half, and they were given a major advantage on 50 minutes, as Sithole saw red for a last-man foul on Brian Gutierrez, to prematurely end a torrid afternoon for him.

The hosts’ advantage was doubled midway through the second half. Jimenez, who had played in three previous World Cups without scoring, finally got off the mark in the competition with a trademark header from close range after a wonderful cross from Roberto Alvarado.

South Africa had sent on veteran playmaker Themba Zwane just before that second goal, but he too saw red after being on the pitch for just 23 minutes of his World Cup debut. Zwane attempted to join in a rare South Africa attack, but caught Alvarado in the face as he attempted to shrug him off, and referee Wilton Sampaio, after being sent to the pitchside VAR monitor, deemed the challenge worthy of a sending-off for the 36-year-old.

But that was not the end of the drama. With Mexico camped in the South Africa half in search of a third goal, Khuliso Mudau broke down the right-hand side before being tripped on the edge of the box by Mexico skipper Cesar Montes. Even though Mudau was heading away from goal, Sampaio decided to show the third red card of the match, and VAR did not want to overturn the decision.

A crazy end to an otherwise dominant performance from Mexico against a poor South Africa, who only managed three shots all game compared to the hosts’ 16.

 

South Korea 2-1 Czechia

In the other match in Group A, South Korea produced a stunning comeback to claim all three points against Czechia.

At the tournament for the first time since Petr Cech, Milan Baros and co lined up in 2006, the Central European nation started under heavy pressure from their East Asian counterparts. Tottenham legend Heung-min Son had several chances to break the deadlock, but could not find the net, and the first half finished goalless despite the Korean dominance.

But it was Czechia who opened the scoring, completely against the run of play. Veteran right-back Vladimir Coufal, once of West Ham, demonstrated his competence at long-throws, launching one straight onto the head of his captain, Wolves’ Ladislav Krejci, to head the Czechs in front.

The lead would last just eight minutes, however, as playmaker Kang-in Lee of PSG played a perfect, incisive through-ball to In-beom Hwang, who showed excellent composure to cut back onto his right foot, sending defender Robin Hranac sliding, and lift the ball over keeper Matej Kovar and over the line.

It was nothing less than The Taegeuk Warriors deserved, but Czechia fought back and could have easily gone in front when West Ham’s Tomas Soucek headed in a set-piece delivery, but the flag was correctly raised for offside.

South Korea would get their well-merited victory though, as Hwang was played in down the right-hand side before squaring the ball for Hyun-gyu Oh, once of Celtic, to squeeze the ball past Kovar and into the net – 11 minutes after replacing Son.

It was nothing less than South Korea deserved, and they find themselves on the top of Group A with Mexico, on three points each, as they prepare to face each other in the early hours of next Friday morning.

 

Today’s fixtures:

Group B

Canada v Bosnia-Herzegovina

8pm (UK Time)

Toronto

 

If you had told Canada 30 years ago that they would be hosting the World Cup with a genuinely talented and competitive team, they would not have believed you.

They have proven their worth on the world stage in recent years, though. Qualifying for the tournament for the first time four years ago, this squad is undoubtedly the best the country has ever had, ranked 30^th in the world and with some real household names.

Led by Jesse Marsch, The Canucks boast a strike force of talisman Jonathan David and Southampton’s Cyle Larin, backed up by Tajon Buchanan of Villarreal and Porto’s Stephen Eustaquio, with Derek Cornelius, who spent last season at Rangers, providing solidity at the back. Not forgetting poster boy Alphonso Davies, the first-ever scorer at a World Cup for Canada four years ago and undoubtedly their star man.

Don’t be surprised to see a historic victory for Canada tonight.

Bosnia-Herzegovina, meanwhile, still boast the presence of the talismanic Edin Dzeko, undoubtedly the greatest footballer the country has ever seen, but at 40 years old now, and with the country now ranked at 64^th in the world going into the tournament, a far cry from their record-high of 13^th in 2014, it looks set to be an “end of an era” tournament. They famously beat Italy on penalties to get here, but it could be all in vain as it would take an almighty effort from Sergej Barbaraz’s men to even get out of the group.

 

Sam’s prediction: Canada 1-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina

 

Group D

USA v Paraguay

2am (UK Time)

Los Angeles

 

The final host nation to play their opening match, USA, led by Mauricio Pochettino, arrive at the tournament with a lot of expectation.

Given their host nation status, and the talent among their squad, they are being tipped by a lot of people as a potential “dark horse”, and have a relatively favourable opening fixture as they look to get off to a good start.

While the days of Landon Donovan, Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey are long gone, USMNT boast plenty of players with Premier League experience including Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream, Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson and star man Christian Pulisic, while Haji Wright is set for a big season in the top flight with Coventry next year.

Sergino Dest will provide pace out wide while Gio Reyna and Weston McKennie are Champions League-standard midfielders. You can see why many are predicting them to go far.

On the other end of the scale, this is Paraguay’s first World Cup since 2010. They no longer have Roque Santa Cruz (unfortunately) but a front three of Miguel Almiron, Julio Enciso and Antonio Sanabria is not to be sniffed at.

Sunderland’s Omar Alderete sits at the back, while Diego Gomez of Brighton is the beating heart in the midfield… USA will probably still have too much for them, but Paraguay will not make it easy as they look to spoil the party.

 

Sam’s prediction: USA 2-1 Paraguay