In the opening match of the 2026 World Cup, host Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0. After the match, MagentaTV expert and former Liverpool coach Klopp offered clear criticism of both teams' performances.

Commenting on the red card received by Mexican player César Montes, Klopp was scathing: "This scene perfectly encapsulated the entire match. Both teams were tactically dreadful and performed unacceptably. Can you believe it? Playing 11 against 9, and you still concede a counter-attack?"

He was particularly harsh on South Africa: "South Africa completely failed to find that exciting and aggressive 'game mood' throughout the entire match. And whenever they tried to increase intensity and show aggression, they were always a beat too slow, resulting in either a yellow card or being easily outplayed by the opponent's passing."

In his detailed analysis, the former Liverpool coach incisively pointed out: "You have to engage in tackles at the right time. For that, you need to be much more compact than both teams were tonight. The distance between the player making the tackle and the next player who could potentially provide cover was always too great, which led to the game we saw today."

Klopp believes that Mexico ultimately benefited from their opponents' mistakes. Without that decisive foul and the subsequent sending off of Yaya Sithole, Mexico would have faced much greater difficulties. Therefore, Klopp's conclusion was sober: despite Mexico securing three points, this match lacked any tactical substance and provided no valuable new insights.