Fair dismissals? Three red cards shown in the World Cup opener – a historic first
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
The opening match of the 2026 World Cup continues to astonish fans around the globe.
Details: After two South African players were sent off, the referee’s discipline caught up with the tournament hosts as well. Mexico’s key defender, César Montes, was shown a straight red card. With this, the teams on the pitch were evened out, and now this wild encounter carries on with 10 Mexicans versus 9 South Africans.
This incident has officially etched the tournament opener into the annals of football history. According to Stats Foot, this is the first time ever that three red cards have been shown in a World Cup opening match.
Despite “El Tri” holding a confident lead, the loss of Montes due to his sending off could prove costly for Mexico in the upcoming group stage matches.
Reminder: The South African national team received their second red card in the first match of the World Cup.
