Mexico on Thursday beat South Africa 2-0 in a drama-filled opening match of the FIFA World Cup at the Estadio Azteca, launching the biggest-ever edition of the global soccer extravaganza.
Julian Quinones scored the opening goal of the tournament after nine minutes and 35-year-old striker Raul Jimenez headed in Mexico’s second goal at the Azteca, which became the first stadium in the world to host games at three World Cups.
Three players were sent off — two from South Africa and one from Mexico — in front of a capacity crowd of 80,000 spectators.
Photo: Reuters
South Africa had Sphephelo Sithole dismissed for denying a goal-scoring opportunity before Themba Zwane was shown a red card for a slap. Mexico’s Cesar Montes was sent off late in the game for a foul.
Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said that his players had overcome severe first-day nerves.
“When you’re starting out the World Cup, of course your legs will shake,” Aguirre said. “Never in 25 years had anyone had any cramps, but three of them had cramps today.”
Photo: Reuters
“We were in awe when we saw the stadium and they got a little bit of stage fright, but we never suffered,” he said.
Mexico’s victory launched a 48-team tournament also hosted by the US and Canada that is to last nearly six weeks, culminating in the final in New Jersey on July 19.
Before kick-off, Colombian superstar Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy performed Dai Dai, the official song of the tournament, and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli rounded off the opening ceremony.
Photo: Reuters
There was a festive atmosphere inside the stadium, but outside dozens of protesters clashed with police.
Groups of teachers, relatives of Mexicans who have gone missing and student activists gathered outside the stadium.
Some protesters broke through barriers and traded blows with police officers guarding the stadium’s perimeter moments after Mexico scored their opening goal.
The start of the action on the pitch will have come as a welcome relief to world governing body FIFA, which has faced stinging criticism over the eye-watering cost of tickets.
On the eve of the tournament, FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the organization.
Infantino said that tickets — which in some cases have topped US$30,000 — had been priced appropriately.
“Our average price which is below [US]500 dollars is again the lowest of the American sports on average,” he said.
Infantino portrayed Iran’s participation at the World Cup in the middle of its military conflict with the US as a win for FIFA, saying: “I don’t know who else would have been able to ensure in these circumstances — which we could not influence — Iran could come and play.”
Four days after they arrived at their base camp in Mexico, the Iran players finally took to the training pitch in front of journalists on Thursday.
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