The opening match of the World Cup in Mexico City provided an unusual spectacle with three players sent off with red cards, marking a rare event in international soccer. Such a scenario was last witnessed during a 2006 game between Portugal and the Netherlands, where four players received red cards, creating a World Cup record. The previous World Cup in Qatar in 2022 saw only four red cards throughout the entire tournament.
The match on Thursday at the Azteca Stadium involved South Africa’s Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane being sent off, while César Montes received a red card for the co-host Mexico. Notably, this was the first instance of three players receiving direct red cards in the opening match of a World Cup, meaning none of them had accumulated two yellow cards. Mexico emerged victorious with a 2-0 score.
Sithole was sent off early in the second half after a foul on Mexico’s Brian Gutierrez near the penalty area. The situation worsened for South Africa when Zwane was expelled after a video review showed him striking Roberto Alvarado in the face during the 84th minute. In stoppage time, Montes was also red-carded for bringing down Khuliso Mudau.
The red cards mean that all three players will miss their next match. South Africa is set to play against the Czech Republic, while Mexico will face South Korea in Guadalajara.
Reflecting on past occurrences, the match between Portugal and the Netherlands at the 2006 World Cup in Germany remains notable for its four red cards, with each team losing two players. That game in Nuremberg also saw a total of 16 yellow cards.
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