World Cup 2026 Statistics – Day 1 (June 11)
Picture : Mexico’s Julián Quiñones is the first player from a CONCACAF nation to score the opening goal at a World Cup tournament.
Mexico vs South Africa 2-0 (Group A)
*Mexico and South Africa have repeated the opening fixture of the 2010 World Cup – exactly 16 years since their 1-1 draw in Johannesburg; it’s the first time an opening game has ever been repeated.
*Mexico have played a World Cup opening match for the 6th time (record of competition) and won it for just the first time of those 6 attempts.
Their previous participations in the openers:
1930: 1-4 vs France
1950: 0-4 vs Brazil
1958: 0-3 vs Sweden
1970: 0-0 vs USSR
2010: 1-1 vs South Africa
*In the meantime, Mexico are now unbeaten in their last eight starting games of a World Cup tournament (since 1998).
*Mexico’s Julián Quiñones is the first player from a CONCACAF nation to score the opening goal at a World Cup tournament.
*For the first time in the history of the World Cup, the first goal of the tournament has been scored by a player born outside the country he represents.
Quiñones, born in Colombia, is one of the 292 players participating in this World Cup representing a country other than their birthplace.
*His goal became the 3rd fastest in World Cup opening matches (9 minutes), behind only:
César Sampaio (Brazil, 1998, vs Scotland) – 4 minutes,
Philipp Lahm (Germany, 2006, vs Costa Rica) – 6 minutes.
*Raúl Jiménez has scored 46th goal for Mexico and his first in a World Cup match.
He is now Mexico’s joint-second top goal-scorer along with Jared Borgetti, behind the national record holder Javier “Chicharito” Hernández (52 goals).
*Forty years ago, in the 1986 World Cup, Mexico lost to Belgium 2-1 at the Azteca Stadium. The game featured the two coaches from the opening match of the 2026 World Cup: Javier Aguirre, former Mexico striker, and Hugo Broos, former Belgian defender, now coach of South Africa.
South Korea vs Czechia 2-1 (Group A)
*Four of Korea Republic’s eight all-time wins in the World Cup have been 2-1 victories after conceding the opening goal (also vs Italia in 2002, vs Togo in 2006, vs Portugal in 2022).
*South Korea won last 3 games vs European nations at World Cups (also 2-0 vs Germany in 2018 and 2-1 vs Portugal in 2022).
This is 4th longest winning streaks by non-European teams against European opponents in World Cup history, behind:
Brazil — 6 (2002-2006),
Argentina — 5 (1986-1990),
Uruguay — 4 (1950-1954).
*Son Heung-Min (picture) is the second player to appear in four different World Cups for Korea Republic (2014-2026), joining current manager Hong Myung-Bo (1990-2002).
*Ladislav Krejči is the second captain in the history of the Czech Republic (including Czechoslovakia) to score in a World Cup match, after Ivan Hašek (1990, vs USA).
*Miroslav Koubek became the oldest coach (74 years 284 days) in the history of the World Cup.
He breaks the record set by Hugo Broos (74 years 62 days) in the opening match of this same World Cup.
Otto Rehhagel was the previous record holder (71 years 307 days, in 2010 with Greece).
*South Korea takes part in 11th consecutive World Cup edition (since 1986).
It’s 5th longest current streak of national teams without missing a World Cup, behind:
Brazil — 23 (since 1930)
Germany — 19 (since 1954)
Argentina — 14 (since 1974)
Spain — 13 (since 1978)