The 2026 World Cup began in chaos at a packed Azteca Stadium on Thursday night — three red cards on the pitch, riot police clashing with protesters hurling Molotov cocktails outside Gate 8, and an elderly man dying of a suspected heart attack at Gate 1 shortly before kick-off.
On the field, co-hosts Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in a match that saw three players sent off, two in controversial fashion. Raul Jimenez etched his name into Azteca's rich history with an emotional goal as the tournament got under way at 8pm local time. The referee became the centre of attention after brandishing three red cards — one short of the World Cup record of four, set in the 2006 Portugal-Netherlands round-of-16 match when Russian official Valentin Ivanov sent off Costinha, Deco, Khalid Boulahrouz and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
“Three red cards, riots with Molotov cocktails, and a fan's death mar Mexico's World Cup opener.”
But the drama off the pitch was equally intense. Footage shared on social media showed unrest outside Gate 8 of Estadio Azteca, where protesters were seen throwing Molotov cocktails. Residents argued that officials had focused on the event over urgent social concerns plaguing the country. The match continued despite the violence, though crowd safety concerns were raised.
Hours earlier, more than 1,000 family members of Mexico's missing people marched toward the stadium carrying candles and photographs of their loved ones. The protest followed years of cartel-related disappearances: around a third of Mexico is ruled by drug gangs like the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and more than 130,000 people are missing nationwide. Héctor Flores Fernández, whose son Daniel was snatched from his Guadalajara apartment in May 2021 by men linked to the CJNG, described the pain as "tremendous".
Emergency services had raced to Gate 1 before the match after an 80-year-old man suffered a suspected heart attack. Paramedics from the World Cup security medical team administered CPR and stabilised him before he was taken to hospital, where he later died.
The tournament, jointly hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada, is already dogged by controversy. Iran had threatened to pull out amid geopolitical tensions, and Iranian fans were denied tickets. A Somali referee was denied entry to the US. Ticket and transport prices have been described as astronomical.
Mexico's win — secured with Jimenez's goal — provided a brief respite. But the images of riot police, Molotov cocktails and mass graves will not easily be forgotten.