Márquez silences the vuvuzelas in the opening match

South Africa 1- Mexico 1

A goal from Marquez silenced the South African vuvuzelas in the opening match. The party was almost complete for the host, who had ten minutes left to take the victory thanks to a great goal from Tshabalala. In addition, the Mexican goal should have been invalidated for offside. That meeting was also the World Cup debut for a then almost unknown and very young Chicharito Hernández, who signed for Manchester United that same summer

Uruguay 0 – France 0

Little football, few occasions and no goal in the first great game of the World Cup, between two teams that aspired to go very far in the tournament. France started the competition with internal problems in the locker room, in which the heavyweights had asked the coach Doménech the ownership of Henry, which finally went to Gourcouff, something that in the long run would bring many problems to the French coach. By contrast, Uruguay was strengthening the foundations of a defensive and choral football that would take him far.