The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins with an unusually high number of red cards. In the tournament’s opening match, Mexico plays South Africa at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, and three players are sent off. Reports name South Africa’s Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane as two of the players ejected, while discussion across outlets highlights the overall tally rather than only one club’s specifics. Coverage notes that such a concentration of dismissals in a single World Cup match is rare. Inquirer.net compares the opener to a 2006 World Cup match between Portugal and the Netherlands, when four players were red-carded—a record for that tournament. BBC News focuses on whether referees are becoming stricter, asking if the early pattern signals a World Cup “littered” with red cards. Other reporting also observes that the total volume of send-offs is already high relative to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which finished with four red cards across the whole tournament. Together, the sources present an early-running question about the officiating environment and whether the competition is trending toward additional records.