World Cup 2026 — Group A
World Cup 2026 Group A opens the tournament with the host nation front and center. Mexico kicks off the entire competition against South Africa at the legendary Estadio Azteca — a ground that has witnessed two World Cup finals and Diego Maradona's Goal of the Century. With co-host pressure and home fans behind them, El Tri are the clear favorites. Santiago Giménez and Hirving Lozano give them genuine attacking threat. Korea Republic arrive with Son Heung-min and Kim Min-jae — a Premier League pedigree that makes them the most dangerous second-place challenger. Czechia, led by Patrik Schick and Tomáš Souček, are no pushovers and could cause an upset on a good day. South Africa, the tournament's sentimental favorite as a first-time host-nation opponent, will fight for every point. Expect Mexico to top the group, with Korea Republic and Czechia scrapping hard for second place.
Standings
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |  Mexico | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 9 |
2 |  South Africa | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 4 |
3 |  Korea Republic | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
4 |  Czechia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -4 | 1 |
* Standings update from completed matches
Group A Fixtures
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Qualification Rules
Teams in Group A
Mexico
MEX
South Africa
RSA
Korea Republic
KOR
Czechia
CZE