Mexico got the World Cup party started as the co-hosts swept away South Africa 2-0 on Thursday, in an encounter with three red cards as the quadrennial football extravaganza got underway.
Julian Quinones's early strike set the tone for a dominant Mexican display in the Group A encounter, with Raul Jimenez's header midway through the second half removing any lingering tension for the home crowd.
Amid escalating protests and social tensions in Mexico's capital, more than 80,000 fans made their way to Mexico City Stadium, better known as Azteca Stadium.
It got a much-needed facelift ahead of the 48-team tournament that Mexico is co-hosting alongside the United States and Canada.
Before the kickoff, the crowd was entertained by Colombian singer Shakira and a host of performers in an opening ceremony.
Yet the match will be remembered as much for the three dismissals, with South Africa having Sphephelo Sithole sent off early in the second half, with his teammate Themba Zwane following him off the pitch before Mexico's Cesar Montes was dismissed in the dying moments.
The ill-tempered encounter spoiled an otherwise party atmosphere, yet the home crowd got to celebrate an opening victory that will set them up nicely to make it out of a group that also includes South Korea and the Czech Republic.
The game was barely minutes old when Jimenez stung the fingertips of South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams with a volley from 12 yards, but the tournament's opening goal was not long in coming.
Sithole was robbed on the edge of his own box by Erik Lira, preferred in the heart of midfield to captain Edson Alvarez, and he quickly fed Quinones, who danced inside before drilling a low finish beneath Williams.
It was the earliest first goal at a World Cup since 2006, when Philipp Lahm netted for Germany against Costa Rica after six minutes.
It took 35 minutes for South Africa to even vaguely threaten the Mexico goal when Lyle Foster glanced a header wide, yet as the first half drew to a close, Hugo Broos's side were clinging on for dear life.
First, Jimenez wafted a foot at an inswinging cross to draw a fine save from Williams before Quinones struck the post from close range with the goal at his mercy, and Brian Gutierrez pushed an effort wide when he should have done better.
The second half began in a similar vein, and it was Gutierrez who drew the first red card when his marauding run toward the box was stopped in its tracks by Sithole, whose clumsy tackle from behind earned him his marching orders to complete a miserable afternoon's work for the midfielder.
The crowd had begun to get a little restless at Mexico's failure to turn their numerical advantage into another goal, but that frustration was relieved when Jimenez bagged his first World Cup goal, with a powerful downward header past Williams from a devilish cross by Roberto Alvarado.
The game's finale was dominated by the dismissals , with Zwane sent off after a VAR check for a supposed arm to the face, while Montes was sent off for Mexico for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
Azteca Stadium is the first venue to host three World Cup openers, after doing so at the 1970 and 1986 tournaments.
It is the eighth opening match of a World Cup for the Mexicans, who had previously lost five and drawn the last two, including against South Africa in the 2010 World Cup.
South Africa are playing in their first World Cup since hosting the 2010 tournament. Bafana Bafana also played in the 1998 and 2002 editions.
Mexico arrived with an eight-match unbeaten streak and have not lost since last November, when Paraguay beat them in a friendly.
The Mexican team is led by the 67-year-old coach Javier Aguirre, who is in his third stint with the national team.
The opener was also marked by teenager Gilberto Mora, who became Mexico's youngest player in World Cup history.
The attacking midfielder was brought on in the 66th minute at the age of 17 years and 240 days.
Mora was already part of the Mexico team that won the Gold Cup when he was 16. His appearance on Thursday was his ninth overall for his country.
He is also the youngest player at the tournament, and the Club Tijuana player has already attracted the interest of European clubs.
The youngest player in men's World Cup history remains Northern Ireland's Norman Whiteside, who played at the 1982 tournament in Spain at the age of 17 years and 41 days.
