Shakira and Burna Boy light up ceremony as Mexico beats South Africa 2-0; streaming woes trigger backlash in India

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off in spectacular fashion at the Azteca Stadium on Thursday night, but the opening day was anything but straightforward. A colourful ceremony headlined by Shakira and Burna Boy was followed by a fiery match that saw three red cards and a Mexican victory. Meanwhile, thousands of kilometres away in India, the tournament’s digital broadcaster found itself in the middle of a social media storm.

Mexico defeated South Africa 2–0 in the opener, but the match will be remembered as much for the dismissals as for the goals. The referee brandished three red cards – two against South Africa and one against Mexico – raising early concerns about discipline in this expanded 48-team tournament.

Ceremony lights up Azteca

The two-hour opening ceremony featured Colombian pop star Shakira, who has now performed at four World Cups, alongside Nigerian singer Burna Boy. The duo performed the official tournament song “Die-Die”. Mexican acts including Belinda, Los Ángeles Azules, and rock band Maná also took the stage.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino later unveiled the World Cup trophy, joined by Hollywood actress Salma Hayek. Colombian reggaeton star J Balvin rounded off the performances before the first match kicked off.

Mexico strikes early

The home side wasted little time. In the 9th minute, South African captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams made a costly error on a back-pass. Mexico’s Julián Quiñones pounced and slotted home the tournament’s opening goal. The striker nearly added a second just before halftime, but his shot rattled the post.

South Africa struggled to mount any serious attack in the first half and trailed 1–0 at the break.

Jiménez doubles the lead

Mexico’s second goal arrived in the 67th minute. Roberto Alvarado delivered a cross from the right, and striker Raúl Jiménez rose to meet it with a powerful header. That sealed the 2–0 win for the hosts in front of a raucous home crowd.

Three red cards in opener – a worrying sign?

The match turned chaotic early in the second half. In the 49th minute, South African midfielder Sphephelo Sithole was shown a straight red card for a foul from behind on Bryan Gutiérrez. Things got worse for the visitors in the 84th minute when Themba Zwane received his marching orders for violent conduct, reducing South Africa to nine men.

Deep into stoppage time, Mexico’s César Montes also saw red for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

For context, the entire 2022 World Cup in Qatar recorded just four red cards. The 2018 edition in Russia also had four. The 2006 tournament still holds the unwanted record of 28 red cards. With three in the opening match alone, concerns are already being raised that this edition could break that mark.

 Zee5 faces heat over streaming quality

Back in India, the excitement quickly turned to frustration. Zee5, the official streaming partner for the FIFA World Cup 2026, faced massive backlash on social media within hours of the broadcast starting.

Users complained of poor video quality, frequent buffering, and intrusive advertisements – even for paid subscribers. Several viewers also reported a glitch during the live stream of the opening ceremony. The criticism trended on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), with many demanding refunds or urging the platform to fix the issues before the next matches.

Neither Zee5 nor FIFA’s Indian representatives have issued an official statement so far.

Protests outside the stadium

Away from the football, tensions simmered on the streets of Mexico City. Dozens of demonstrators gathered near the Azteca Stadium ahead of the opening match, demanding higher wages for teachers and better public amenities. Protesters accused the government of prioritising the World Cup while ignoring social issues. The protests remained peaceful, but they served as a reminder of the domestic challenges facing the host nation.

 South Korea pull off upset

On the pitch, there was more drama on matchday one. Asian giants South Korea staged a comeback to beat Czech Republic 2–1. Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu scored for the Koreans, while Ladislav Krejci netted the lone goal for Czechia.