Aaaaaand, they’re off!
The 2026 World Cup is under way. Co-hosts Mexico got the action started at a pulsating Estadio Azteca with a 2-0 win over South Africa, before South Korea came back from a goal down to beat Czechia 2-1 in an entertaining clash in Guadalajara.
In today’s newsletter, we look back on a couple of notable talking points from those games, specifically red cards and South Korea’s eye-catching football.
Our Ask Opta question looks ahead to tonight’s action and a particular ‘golden oldie’ hoping to dent co-hosts Canada’s hopes of a first ever World Cup victory. And for a Friday treat in the quiz section, we’re giving you five questions relating to the youngest and oldest players in the tournament’s history.
🟥 STAT - Seeing Red
This section yesterday looked at the teams who’ve sent the most players to the World Cup; today we’re focusing on players who’ve already been sent off.
The major talking point from the opening night of the tournament was undoubtedly the red cards.
Mexico’s comfortable defeat of South Africa saw three players dismissed. Yaya Sithole – having earlier gifted El Tri their opening goal – was shown a straight red for denying a goalscoring opportunity by tripping Brian Gutiérrez when he had only the goalkeeper to beat.
His teammate, Themba Zwane, followed him down the tunnel 23 minutes after coming off the bench, for catching Roberto Alvarado with a bit of a slap while jostling for the ball. Mexico’s César Montes completed referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio’s dubious hat-trick with a cynical lunge on Khuliso Mudau as he prepared to race into the box.