Mexico wins the opening match. The first 90 minutes of the World Cup featured two goals, three red cards, and the emergence of a 17-year-old star.

The World Cup has finally begun.

A festival that happens once every four years.

The first 90 minutes were won by the host nation, Mexico.

The result was,

Mexico 2-0 South Africa

Julian Quiñones and Raul Jimenez scored the goals.

Shaking the packed stadium, Mexico got off to the best possible start.

However, this match was more than just a 2-0 scoreline.

An opening goal in the 9th minute.

The debut of a 17-year-old rising star.

Three players sent off.

And the immense pressure that comes with being the host nation.

The passion and tension typical of the World Cup were all packed into the very first match.

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For a host nation, the opening match is special.
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Hosting the World Cup.

This is a dream stage for the players, but it is also an incredibly heavy match.

The whole country is watching.

There is a massive crowd in the stadium cheering for them.

Winning is expected.

If they stumble in the opening match, the atmosphere for the entire tournament becomes heavy.

Under that kind of pressure, Mexico pushed forward from the very start of the match.

Raul Jimenez faced a decisive opportunity early on, threatening the South African goal.

And then, nine minutes in.

Mexico won the ball in midfield and surged toward the goal in an instant.

The one who finished it off was,

Julian Quinones.

His shot from near the penalty area went through the legs of South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and into the net.

The stadium erupted.

The opening goal for the host nation, signaling the start of the World Cup.

At that moment, it felt as if all of Mexico let out a huge sigh of relief.

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🔥 Quinones was the star of the opening match
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The player who shone brightest in this match was Quinones.

It wasn't just the opening goal.

He aggressively attacked the goal, took shots, and caused chaos in the South African defense time and time again.

In the first half, he even hit the post.

Furthermore, in the second half, he was deeply involved in Mexico's second goal.

He advanced the attack with a one-two pass with Jimenez and distributed the ball to Roberto Alvarado.

Jimenez then headed in Alvarado's cross at the far post.

Quinones was,

In addition to scoring one goal, he was also the catalyst for the second.

He is truly the protagonist of the opening match.

After the match, he also spoke of his joy at scoring his first World Cup goal in front of a massive home crowd.

The host nation's first match.

A packed stadium.

The first goal of the tournament.

It must have been the ultimate stage.

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🧤 The goalkeeper who supported South Africa
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Looking only at the score, it was a complete victory for Mexico.

However, South Africa did not collapse from the first half.

The team was supported by their captain and goalkeeper, Williams.

He saved a header from Jimenez, preventing an additional goal.

There was also a moment where South Africa was saved by the post on a shot from Quinones.

South Africa finished the first half at 0-1.

Despite being pushed back, it was still only a one-goal difference.

The possibility of turning things around in the second half remained.

However, the flow of the match changed significantly from here.

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🟥 South Africa collapses due to red cards
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In the second half, Jimenez, attempting to break through toward the goal, was brought down just outside the penalty area.

On this play, South Africa's Sisole was sent off.

South Africa, already being pushed back by Mexico, was forced to play with ten men.

On the World Cup stage, playing a man down against the host nation.

It is an incredibly difficult situation.

And, a few minutes later,

Mexico scored their second goal.

From Quinones to Alvarado.

Jimenez on Alvarado's cross.

They broke down the South African defense exactly as planned and sealed the match.

Furthermore, late in the match, South Africa's Zwane and Mexico's Montes were also sent off.

In this match, a total of three red cards were issued.

It was an intense and rough development, hardly what one would expect from an opening match.

In soccer, a single decision can change the landscape of a match.

In the World Cup, that weight increases even further.

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🌟 17 years and 240 days old, Gilberto Mora appears
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There was one more event that could not be overlooked.

Mexico's Gilberto Mora made his World Cup debut at 17 years and 240 days old.

This is the sixth-youngest appearance record in tournament history.

He is 17 years old.

In Japan, that would be high school age.

A player of that age stood on the pitch for the opening match of the World Cup, with the expectations of the entire nation resting on them.

It is an incredible feat.

Furthermore, the list of youngest players to appear includes names that remain in soccer history, such as Pelé and Samuel Eto'o.

Of course, appearing at a young age does not guarantee future success.

But they have taken their first step on a stage that the whole world is watching.

That alone has great significance.

How much will Mora grow during this tournament?

There is now one more reason to look forward to watching Mexico.

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📊 Mexico is 'strong in opening matches'
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With this victory, Mexico has now gone undefeated in their last eight World Cup opening matches.

Six of those were wins.

This means they have consistently achieved stable results in opening matches.

The first match of the World Cup is different from a regular game.

The players are nervous.

The atmosphere in the stadium is different, too.

The opponent is also cautious.

The game can become stiff due to the desire not to lose points.

Amidst that, Mexico scored the opening goal early on.

And they scored an additional goal while controlling the game.

This is no coincidence.

It is not just the momentum of the host nation,

but the experience and strength to win the first match

that I believe Mexico possesses.

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⚽ The way Mexico won
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What was impressive about this match was Mexico's positive attitude.

Pressuring the opponent from a high position.

Heading straight for the goal as soon as they win the ball.

Sending in crosses from the flanks.

Using Jimenez as a clear target.

The opening goal, in particular, was born from winning the ball in midfield.

In other words,

defense became the start of the attack.

Finishing off the opponent before they could transition from attack to defense.

It was a goal that highlighted the transition between offense and defense, which is crucial in modern football.

On the other hand, there were also issues for Mexico.

There was a period after the opening goal where they slowed the tempo, and they did not completely dominate the match.

The fact that they had players sent off is also a concern for the future.

Even so, what is needed in the opening match is, first and foremost, the result.

Mexico has secured 3 points.

It is the best possible start for the host nation.

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🌍 The World Cup has begun
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Mexico's goals.

South Africa's tenacity.

Red card decisions.

A 17-year-old rising star.

The roar of the massive crowd.

From the very first match, several stories worthy of the World Cup have already emerged.

Before the tournament begins, eyes are fixed only on the favorites and the star players.

But the true excitement of the World Cup begins once the matches actually start.

An unknown player suddenly becomes a hero.

A single decision changes the course of a match.

A young player opens the door to history.

The cheers of the host nation's fans push the players forward.

Such events will happen almost every day from now on.

It has only just begun.

Can Mexico carry this momentum through to advance from the group stage?

Can South Africa recover from a difficult opening match that saw them lose a player to a red card?

And what new stories will unfold in the next match?

It looks like I'll have some sleepless nights ahead.

The World Cup is truly exciting after all.

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📘 To enjoy the Japan national team even more
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For this World Cup, I also wrote a book to help you enjoy the Japan national team even more.
The theme is,

The theme is,
Why has the Japan national team become stronger?

I have summarized the selection of the 26-man Moriyasu Japan squad, tactical analysis, and the path to reaching the quarterfinals in the 2026 World Cup as clearly as possible.

Let's cheer for Japan.

Just cheering is fun enough.

But,

"Why was this player selected?"
"Why are they defending in this formation?"
"Where are they trying to win the ball?"
"At what time does manager Moriyasu plan to make his move?"

When you can see that much, the World Cup becomes even more interesting.

▼ Click here for the book to support the Japan national team

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📚 There are also World Cup-related books
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For those who want to enjoy the World Cup even more, I have also written related books.

Host country.
Travel distance.
Time difference.
Heat.
Tactics.
AI.
Data.
How to enjoy watching the games.

Even before the matches start, there are many interesting points about the World Cup.

▼ Click here for World Cup-related books