A Curse Broken, Yet Doubts Persist
Mexico’s national football team finally snapped a seven‑match opening‑day winless streak at the 2026 World Cup, beating South Africa 2‑0 in a match that felt more like a homecoming than a tournament opener.
The decisive goal arrived in the ninth minute when Julian Quinones slipped past a defender and struck a low shot that left the South African keeper rooted. The strike ignited the 80,000‑strong crowd at the Azteca stadium, a sea of green and white that roared with every tackle.
Three red cards punctuated the contest, underscoring a physical intensity that matched the fans’ fervor. Outside the stadium, the celebration spilled into Mexico City’s historic Zócalo, where barricades erected by protesting teachers gave way to a jubilant crowd of roughly 50,000.
Marta Gonzalez, a lifelong supporter, told reporters she felt “proud to be Mexican” as the streets filled with chants and fireworks. For Beth Navaez, who had traveled to the World Cups in Russia and Qatar, watching the match on home soil added a new layer of excitement, though she remained skeptical about the squad’s deeper run.
Arturo Lopez, another fan in the Zócalo, echoed the sentiment, noting that the victory felt like a long‑awaited release after years of disappointment on opening days. Yet the optimism was tempered by the team’s uneven performance and the looming question of how far they can go in a tournament that has historically exposed their vulnerabilities.