Mexico vs. South Africa: Who will be the first to score in this World Cup?
by Tyler Doty
Will Raúl Jiménez kick off the festivities?
It’s D-Day! In just a few minutes, the 2026 World Cup will kick off. As one of the three host nations, Mexico is set to take the field in this opening match against South Africa. El Tricolor is aiming for nothing less than first place in Group A. In fact, they look capable of shining in this opening match, as our Mexico vs. South Africa prediction suggests.
Javier Aguirre has several highly talented offensive players at his disposal. It’s hard not to think immediately of Raúl Jiménez. In his final season with Fulham, the 35-year-old striker still managed to score 9 goals in the Premier League. He can be even more formidable with his national team. He ranks among the top scorers in Mexican soccer history!
With 45 goals for El Tricolor, the Tepeji native sits in third place on the all-time scoring list. While he trails the leader, none other than Chicharito, by seven goals, he is just one goal behind Jared Borgetti. He will certainly be looking to use the start of the World Cup to close the gap.
He isn’t the only Mexican player looking to make an impact this Thursday night. After an incredibly difficult season with AC Milan, Santiago Gimenez is out for revenge. Having failed to score a single goal in this season’s Serie A, he wouldn’t mind opening his World Cup scoring account in this very first match. That would be excellent news for the favorite in Group A...
The Bafana Bafana are counting on Lyle Foster
There’s no doubt that South Africa is looking to spoil the home team’s party this Thursday night. In a group that remains wide open, Bafana Bafana still have every chance of qualifying for the Round of 16. They proved to be a very solid team during the last Africa Cup of Nations, losing by a narrow margin in the Round of 16 against Cameroon (1-2).
Throughout the continental competition, Hugo Broos was able to count on an excellent Lyle Foster. The Burnley player was one of the key figures in his team’s qualification for the knockout stage. He was involved in four of Bafana Bafana’s five goals during the group stage, scoring twice and providing two assists.
Lyle Foster stood out during the last Africa Cup of Nations.
The 25-year-old player has, of course, been called up again for the 2026 World Cup. He expects, once again, to shine in a major tournament with South Africa. He will therefore be the main offensive weapon for a team that dreams of defying the odds in Group A.
Will that be enough to make him the first to stand out in this World Cup? There isn’t much time left before we find out... Let the show begin!
