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Referee Wilton Sampaio, of Brazil, show the red card to South Africa’s Themba Zwane during the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) MEXICO CITY (AP) The opening matc
Referee Wilton Sampaio, of Brazil, show the red card to South Africa’s Themba Zwane during the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
MEXICO CITY (AP)
The opening match of the World Cup delivered a rarity in international soccer: three players sent off with red cards.
No World Cup match has had that many players ejected since a 2006 game between Portugal and the Netherlands, when four players received red cards — a World Cup record.
The last World Cup in Qatar in 2022 had only four red cards in the entire tournament.
On Thursday at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off for South Africa while César Montes was shown a red card for the tournament co-host.
Referee Wilton Sampaio a red card to South Africa’s Sphephelo Sithole, left, during the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
It’s the first time three players have been sent off in the opening match of a World Cup – and all three were straight red cards, meaning none of the ejected players were given two yellows.
Mexico won the match 2-0.
Sithole was red-carded after taking down Mexico’s Brian Gutierrez on the edge of the box at the start of the second half.
Things got worse for South Africa when Zwane was sent off following a video review for striking Roberto Alvarado in the face in the 84th minute. Finally, in stoppage time, Montes saw red for bringing down Khuliso Mudau.
Referee Wilton Sampaio a red card to South Africa’s Sphephelo Sithole, left, during the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
The red cards mean the three players will be suspended for at least one more match. South Africa’s next match is against the Czech Republic and Mexico next faces South Korea in Guadalajara.
The match between Portugal and the Netherlands at the 2006 World Cup in Germany stands out with its four red cards – two for each team. That game in Nuremberg also had 16 yellow cards.