Jiménez fires Mexico to winning World Cup start as Aguirre admits nerves affected hosts

• Mexico opened the 2026 World Cup with a 2-0 victory over South Africa at the Estadio Azteca
• Javier Aguirre said the occasion contributed to nerves, mistakes and cramps among his players
• Raúl Jiménez scored an emotional goal and dedicated it to his late father

Mexico began their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over South Africa, but head coach Javier Aguirre admitted the scale of the occasion affected some of his players during an emotional night at the Estadio Azteca.

The hosts claimed three points in the tournament opener, although Aguirre felt his side should have won by a wider margin after creating a host of opportunities, particularly in the first half. South Africa finished the match with nine men, yet Mexico were only able to add two goals despite dominating large periods of the contest.

Aguirre pointed to the atmosphere inside the stadium and the significance of opening a home World Cup as reasons behind some uncharacteristic mistakes.

“It’s a brutal setting, it makes your legs shake a bit,” Aguirre said after the match. “You come from the training centre to the stadium and that makes the players say, ‘wow.’”

The veteran coach revealed that several players suffered cramps despite Mexico not encountering similar issues throughout his tenure.

“Never in 25 games have we had players suffer from cramps and here we had three,” Aguirre said. “It’s an emotional issue. Making mistakes on easy passes weighed heavily on them. The atmosphere weighed on some players, although not on everyone.”

Mexico eventually settled into the game and controlled possession for long spells, regularly pushing South Africa back into their own half.

One of the standout moments of the evening arrived when Raúl Jiménez doubled Mexico’s advantage in the second half. The striker immediately broke down in tears during his celebration, dedicating the goal to his father, who recently passed away.

The emotional scene resonated around the Azteca as supporters embraced a winning start to the tournament.

Despite the victory, Aguirre was left frustrated by the number of missed opportunities.

“It was a 2-0 game. It could have been 4-0 and nobody would have said otherwise,” he said. “The fans have the right to expect more. They are happy with the win, but they would have been even happier with four goals.”

Mexico now turn their attention to South Korea in Guadalajara on June 18. While victory puts them in a strong early position in Group A, Aguirre insisted his focus remains firmly on the next match rather than qualification calculations.

“Right now, the match against Korea is the most important thing,” he said. “Everything else is a matter of adding and subtracting later. We are focused on being better than Korea and taking it step by step.”

Mexico will also have to deal with the suspension of César Montes after his second-half red card. Aguirre confirmed captain Edson Álvarez is expected to move into central defence as a result.

“Edson will likely play at centre-back because of César’s expulsion,” Aguirre said. “We prepared him for that possibility and he is ready.”

Montes’ dismissal was one of three red cards shown during the match, setting a new World Cup record for an opening fixture.

Mexico conclude their group-stage campaign against Czechia on June 24, but after navigating the pressure, expectation and emotion of opening night, Aguirre’s side have already taken the first step they wanted on home soil.

WRITTEN BY

Hailey

Hailey Russell is a football journalist and former Division 1 collegiate athlete in the United States, bringing a unique blend of elite playing experience and professional insight to her work. Currently competing at the professional level in Europe, Hailey combines first-hand knowledge of the modern game with sharp analysis across match reports, player development, and tactical breakdowns.

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