World Cup 2026 begins in dramatic fashion, with three red cards in the opening match

The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicked off in an extraordinary manner, with the opening match not only entertaining the fans but also creating a new and unique chapter in football history.

Hosts Mexico got off to a great start by defeating South Africa 2-0 in the opening match played at Mexico's historic Stadia Azteca, but the real focus of the match was more on the events on the field than the score.

During the match, the referee made unusually harsh decisions and showed a total of three red cards, including two from South Africa and one from Mexico.

This is the first time in the history of the World Cup that such a large number of red cards have been shown in the opening match. Previously, only three or more red cards have been shown in a single match on a few occasions, including the 2006 Portugal vs. Netherlands match, which saw a record four red cards.

This unexpected aspect of the opening match has also become a topic of great discussion on social media, where users are calling it one of the "most dramatic starts" in World Cup history.