Match at a glance
MEX / RSA16Attempts3
4On target2
60.5%Possession39.5%
89.8%Pass accuracy81.4%
12Fouls committed11
1Yellow cards2
1Red cards2
3Corners1
Mexico 2–0 South Africa: 2026 World Cup match result
2026 Group Stage · Group AAsk about this match
Mexico won in normal time
- Julián Quiñones9'
- Raúl Jiménez67'
Match in one glance
MexicoSouth AfricaGoalCard
Mexico
South Africa
0′HTFT
First half0′–45′Second half45′–90′
How the lead moved
MEX RSA- 9'
Julián Quiñones1 MEX - 67'Raúl Jiménez2 MEX
Mexico led for the closing passage. Plotted from recorded goal times only — per-minute pressure is not in the source data.
Recorded standouts
Source actions, no ratings- 1
Julián Quiñones 1 goal · 2 on target - 2
Raúl Jiménez 1 goal · 2 on target - 3
Érik Lira 1 assist · 2 fouls won - 4
Roberto Alvarado 1 assist · 2 fouls won - 5
Raúl Rangel 2 saves
What separated the teams
Finishing
Mexico had the scoring edge
12.5%Goal conversion0.0%
Territory
Mexico controlled more of the ball
60.5%Possession39.5%
Discipline
Mexico carried the lighter card load
3Cards (red counts double)6
Straight from the completed match report — no xG, tracking or player ratings.
Complete match timeline
MexicoSouth AfricaGoalCardSubstitution
Mexico
South Africa
0′HTFT
First half0′–45′Second half45′–90′
Event feed
15 eventsKey phases
Goals in each periodFirst half
0′–45′1 – 0J. Quiñones 9'
Second half
45′–90′1 – 0R. Jiménez 67'
Mexico
4-1-4-11Raúl Rangel
15Israel Reyes
23Jesús Gallardo
3César Montes
5Johan Vásquez6Érik Lira25Roberto Alvarado
26Brian Gutiérrez
8Álvaro Fidalgo16Julián Quiñones9Raúl JiménezListed formation · positions are schematic
South Africa
5-3-2
20Khuliso Mudau
6Aubrey Modiba
14Mbekezeli Mbokazi
21Ime Okon
19Nkosinathi Sibisi
4
13
23
9
15Iqraam RaynersListed formation · positions are schematic
Select a player portrait to see the recorded shirt number, position and lineup context.
Attendance80,824
RefereeWilton Pereira Sampaio
MEX4-1-4-1
RSA5-3-2
Result statusFull time
Complete performance breakdown
MEXRSA
Attacking output
Volume, accuracy and finishing from the recorded attempts.
16Attempts3
4On target2
5Blocked shots0
25.0%Shot accuracy66.7%
12.5%Goal conversion0.0%
Goals divided by attempts
Possession & passing
Control, circulation and progression of the ball.
60.5%Possession39.5%
467Passes completed272
89.8%Pass accuracy81.4%
4Crosses completed1
31Long balls completed17
Defensive work
Interventions made without treating workload as quality by itself.
2Saves2
6Tackles won7
50%Tackle success50%
8Interceptions7
15Clearances17
Discipline & pressure
Fouls, cards, offsides and set-piece pressure.
12Fouls committed11
1Offsides1
1Yellow cards2
1Red cards2
3Corners1
What separated the teams
Finishing
Mexico had the scoring edge
12.5%Goal conversion0.0%
Territory
Mexico controlled more of the ball
60.5%Possession39.5%
Discipline
Mexico carried the lighter card load
3Cards (red counts double)6
Straight from the completed match report — no xG, tracking or player ratings.
Recorded standouts
Source actions, no ratings- 1Julián Quiñones 1 goal · 2 on target
- 2Raúl Jiménez 1 goal · 2 on target
- 3Érik Lira 1 assist · 2 fouls won
- 4Roberto Alvarado 1 assist · 2 fouls won
- 5Raúl Rangel 2 saves
- 6
Ronwen Williams
2 saves - 7Mbekezeli Mbokazi 1 on target · 3 fouls won
- 8Aubrey Modiba 1 on target · 2 fouls won
- 9Khuliso Mudau 3 fouls won
- 10Álvaro Fidalgo 2 fouls won
Player leaders
Who led the recorded actions
1
GoalsJulián QuiñonesRaúl Jiménez
Julián QuiñonesRaúl Jiménez1
AssistsÉrik LiraRoberto Alvarado
Érik LiraRoberto Alvarado5
ShotsJulián Quiñones
Julián Quiñones2
On targetJulián QuiñonesRaúl Jiménez
Julián QuiñonesRaúl Jiménez3
Fouls wonMbekezeli MbokaziKhuliso Mudau
Mbekezeli MbokaziKhuliso Mudau2
Decisive moments
5 eventsTournament path
How both teams reached this match
MexicoS. AfricaGroup A impact
Table immediately after this result
1 of 6 group matches included.
PosTeamPGDPts
1Mexico21+23
Mexico21+232
Czechia1000
Czechia10003
Korea4000
Korea40004S. Africa31-20
S. Africa31-20Snapshot ordering uses points, goal difference and goals scored. It is contextual, not a replacement for FIFA's complete tie-break procedure.
All-time World Cup meetings
Mexico vs S. Africa, across editions
1MEX wins
1Draws
0RSA wins
2meetings
3–1goal balance
0knockout meetings
2026Mexico 2–0 S. AfricaGroup Stage
2010S. Africa 1–1 MexicoGroup stage
Source: ESPN completed match report, retrieved Aug 18, 2026. Derived percentages are calculated from the displayed source values; missing fields are omitted rather than estimated.
Source: ESPN completed match report. Tournament context cross-checked against FIFA sources listed in the dataset.