Mexico - South Africa: Jürgen Klopp tears apart the World Cup opener

11.06.26 FT World Cup

Mexico

2

:

South Africa

0

Highly anticipated as the kickoff for the 2026 World Cup, the clash between Mexico and South Africa left Jürgen Klopp wanting more. The former Liverpool manager did not hesitate to call out the low standard of play displayed by both teams.

Despite Mexico’s 2-0 victory over South Africa, the tournament’s curtain-raiser left many feeling unsatisfied. Even with three red cards spicing up the contest, several pundits were unconvinced, having expected a much higher level of football to launch the competition.

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Speaking on ZDF, Jürgen Klopp did not hide his disappointment:

“Neither team played well. When it’s eleven against nine, they catch you off guard on the counter-attack. Why? Because the defense was sitting too deep. It was a recurring problem throughout the match. This was not a high-level game.”

A view echoed by Christoph Kramer, who remarked:

“It felt more like a charity match.”

Still, this shaky start does not undermine the tournament’s ambitions. All eyes will now be on the upcoming fixtures, which will be crucial in erasing memories of an opening match that, so far, has failed to win over football fans.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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