Check out the 2026 World Cup: Was the referee correct in issuing three red cards during the opening match?

The first red card came in the 49th minute when South African midfielder Sphephelo Sithole fouled Brian Gutiérrez as the Mexican player raced toward the goalkeeper. The referee deemed it a denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) and immediately sent off Sithole. After review, VAR supported this decision.

This was considered the least controversial incident of the match. Gutiérrez had beaten the last defender and needed only one more touch before shooting. Under current football laws, pulling down or fouling a player in such a clear goal-scoring situation fully justifies a red card. Therefore, the referee’s call was deemed correct.

A more debated situation occurred in the 84th minute. Themba Zwane, while trying to get past Roberto Alvarado, swung his arm and struck the opponent in the face. Initially, the referee did not show a red card, but after VAR recommended an on-field review, he reversed his decision and sent off the South African player for violent conduct.

This decision sparked mixed opinions. By law, any action involving hitting or making forceful contact with an opponent’s face can be considered violent conduct. However, many experts argued that Zwane’s move lacked intent and was not severe enough to be deemed violent. The fact that the referee took considerable time to review the incident also suggests it was not an easy call. Still, once VAR confirmed contact with the face, the likelihood of a red card was very high.

The final red card was shown in the second minute of stoppage time when defender Cesar Montes fouled Khuliso Mudau just outside the penalty area. The referee again ruled it a denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and sent off the Mexican player.

This was perhaps the most controversial decision of the match. In that play, Mudau still had a relatively wide angle to work with and was not fully facing the goalkeeper. Many analysts believed the South African player would likely pass to a teammate rather than shoot immediately. Therefore, it may have been only a dangerous attacking opportunity rather than meeting the DOGSO threshold of an obvious goal-scoring chance.

However, given the highly subjective nature of the situation and the lack of a clear error, VAR did not intervene to overturn the on-field decision. Overall, among the three red cards in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup, the decision against Sithole was completely correct, the red card for Zwane remains controversial, and Montes’ case lies on the fine line between a dangerous opportunity and an obvious goal-scoring chance.