Mexico vs South Africa: 16 years on, what has changed for FIFA World Cup opening day opponents?

Mexico face South Africa in the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Thursday.

16 years is a long time in football, but in rare instances, we see history being repeated. When Mexico take on South Africa in the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11, a slice of history will be made.

Exactly 16 years ago, to the very day, the whistle blew at Soccer City in Johannesburg for the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2010. The opponents on that day, June 11, 2010, were the same: Mexico and South Africa.

That opening match lives on in the memory of fans, if not for the quality of football on display, then for the sheer level of joy and chaos on offer. For the first time, global audiences experienced the deafening sounds of the vuvuzela, the long plastic horns carried by the local fans.

Then, South Africa – widely tipped for a defeat against a strong Mexico national team – stunned the world with a wonder strike from Siphiwe Tshabalala. It was, by all accounts, a superb goal – a powerful rocket strike that flew into the top corner past goalkeeper Oscar Perez.

Yet, it is what followed after the goal that became a part of the World Cup folklore. Tshabalala ran towards the touchline and, with four of his teammates, performed a dance routine in the style of Macarena, with Peter Drury’s iconic commentary adding to the surreal scene.

Mexico would eventually equalise 11 minutes before full-time through Rafa Marquez, with the match ending in a 1-1 draw. South Africa were eliminated in the group stage, while Mexico’s campaign was also disappointing, being eliminated in the Round of 16.

16 years later, Mexico and South Africa are back on the football pitch, opening the FIFA World Cup. So, when Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio blows his whistle on Thursday, Mexico vs South Africa will become only the second fixture to feature more than once on the FIFA World Cup opening day, the other being Brazil vs Mexico.

16 years on, both sides have the chance to make a bigger statement. Mexico, at home, in front of their fans, are looking for a deep run. South Africa, qualifying on merit, are looking to take on the world’s best. A lot has changed in those 16 years, but some things have remained as constant as ever ahead of this historic clash in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Also Read: Mexico vs South Africa: What happened last time these two sides met in FIFA World Cup?

Mexico’s transformation under Aguirre

In 2010, Mexico arrived as the antagonists – the away team tasked with crashing Africa’s historic football party. On Thursday, the roles will be reversed. El Tri enter as a united force carrying the aspirations of the Azteca crowd, looking to erase the humiliation of a group stage exit in Qatar four years ago.

The Mexican team at the 2010 World Cup had a lot of individual brilliance. The veteran core of Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Rafa Marquez was complemented by the up-and-coming attacking force of Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, Carlos Vela, and Giovani dos Santos. On paper, it was a team full of talent, but very little control.

The Mexican national team in this edition is as far removed from that as possible. A solid spine featuring Edson Alvarez and Luis Chavez means that El Tri are no longer reliant on chaotic wing play, instead playing more centrally to feed the likes of Santiago Gimenez and Raul Jimenez. This team is less flamboyant, but more solid, and certainly more attacking than their 2010 counterparts.

There are a couple of things, however, that remain unchanged for Mexico. The biggest link between these two sides is the man on the touchline: Javier Aguirre. ‘El Vasco’, as he is called, was in charge of Mexico in 2010 and, after a host of changes in the past year, will once again lead El Tri in the 2026 World Cup. In fact, Marquez, who scored Mexico’s equaliser against South Africa in 2010, will be Aguirre’s assistant coach this year.

Another figure linking the two tournaments is Guillermo Ochoa. The then-24-year-old goalkeeper, playing for Club America, was Mexico’s number 1 during the World Cup qualification and the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Yet, during the actual tournament, Aguirre controversially made him Perez’s backup.

Ochoa, who will turn 41 in July, is still a part of the Mexican World Cup squad. This will be his sixth World Cup tournament – a national record. It remains to be seen whether he will start for the co-hosts, or if Raul Rangel will be given the nod, but Ochoa remains a constant for Mexico.

South Africa’s growth

South Africa, too, have grown as a footballing nation since they were handed the World Cup hosting rights in 2010. Bafana Bafana are now ranked 60th in the FIFA men’s rankings, up from 83rd in the 2010 World Cup.

What has changed most, however, is their mindset. 16 years ago, South Africa were a footballing unknown. The boisterous home support acted as a 12th man, but it also created an environment of anxiety.

Under Brazilian manager Carlos Alberto Parreira, South Africa played a highly cautious brand of football, afraid of putting a foot wrong in front of the home crowd. Although the squad featured names like Steven Pienaar and Aaron Mokoena, the Bafana Bafana were ultimately unable to get the better of elite sides.

In 2026, it is a different picture for South Africa, who earned their place in North America through a gruelling CAF qualification process. Under the brilliant Belgian head coach Hugo Broos, South Africa play compact football, with the core of the squad coming from Mamelodi Sundowns. Complementing them are a small core of Europe-based players, led by Burnley attacker Lyle Foster.

Make no mistake; South Africa are still massive underdogs for Thursday’s clash. But Broos is confident about his squad’s ability.

“It won’t be easy at all,” he said in December. “It’s a great thing to play in front of 80,000 people. We have nothing to lose.”

The evolving World Cup

Since the Mexico vs South Africa match in 2010, the World Cup itself has gone through various stages of evolution. The 2010 World Cup, in many ways, was the end of an era. There was the infamous “Jabulani” ball, whose erratic movement led to several goalkeeping howlers. There was no goal-line technology, resulting in a “ghost goal” scored by England’s Frank Lampard against Germany.

The 2026 fixture presents a stark contrast. This year’s World Cup is quite possibly the most technologically advanced tournament ever held. Other than an improved VAR setup, this year’s “Trionda” ball has a hyper-sensitive Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor, which will integrate with the Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT).

Then there are the victors. 2010 saw Spain revolutionise world football with their “tiki-taka” style of play, eventually lifting the World Cup trophy. Germany broke Argentine hearts in 2014 to win the World Cup final, but Lionel Messi and his teammates clinched the trophy eight years later. In between, France won the trophy in 2018, with Kylian Mbappe leading them to the final again in 2022.

Now, it is time for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which starts on June 11 with a familiar opening fixture: Mexico taking on South Africa.

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