Matched the anti-record of 1990! South Africa receives second red card in World Cup opener

The opening match of the 2026 World Cup has turned into an outright nightmare for South Africa's national team.

Details: Trailing 2-0, Bafana Bafana somehow managed to go down to nine men. After a VAR review, the referee sent off another South African player—Themba Zwane was shown a red card for striking a Mexican opponent.

• See also: Prediction for Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina. June 12, 2026, World Cup 2026, Group B, Matchday 1

With this dismissal, South Africa has written itself into World Cup history in a most unfortunate way. According to Stats Foot, South Africa became only the second team ever to finish a World Cup opener with just nine players on the field. The only previous case dates back 36 years: on June 8, 1990, Cameroon ended their opening clash against Argentina with nine men after André Kana-Biyik and Benjamin Massing were both sent off.

As of the 88th minute, Mexico is cruising to a 2-0 victory.

Reminder: 17-year-old Mexican midfielder Mora has entered the top six youngest players in World Cup history.