Klopp on the 2026 World Cup opener: A poor match, neither team played well

The opening match of the 2026 World Cup, where Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0, failed to impress former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp. According to the German, both teams played poorly, especially tactically, and this level of performance is simply not good enough for a World Cup. While most of the criticism was directed at the African side, Klopp believes Mexico didn't display significantly better quality, and only the shortcomings of "Bafana Bafana" prevented the "Aztecs" from being punished.

When asked about the three red cards in the match, Klopp, who is working as an analyst for Magenta TV during the World Cup, stated:

“This situation largely summed up the entire game. Tactically, it was simply poor! Neither team played well. 11 against 9, and they still get caught unprepared on a counter-attack. Why? Because the defensive line was too deep. That was a general problem throughout the match. South Africa just didn't capitalize. This was not a high-level game.”