World Cup 2026 Group A
GROUP A
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| Mexico | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| South Africa | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| South Korea | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Czechia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
Sean O'Conor
[Team Jersey Images © Soccerphile]
Mexico
Joint hosts, Mexico will enjoy some home comforts this summer.
They will become the only country to have hosted the World Cup three times, mindful that on the previous two occasions, in 1970 and 1986, they went as far as they have ever gone in 18 World Cups. To feather their bed further, they open the whole tournament against a modest opponent in their national stadium.
The only football-mad country among the three hosts, Mexico will start the whole tournament with a winnable home match so the public fervour will be ratcheted up from the off. Expectations are tempered by El Tri's historically modest record and their current lack of a core of players at big clubs, but home advantage means they should go further than expected.
Moreover, should they advance from their group they will play just over the border in familiar temperatures with a huge expat fan base to back them. Last time in America, at the World Cup of 1994, they topped a group containing Italy, Ireland and Norway, although they went on to lose on penalties to Bulgaria in the second round.
Win Group A as they should and Mexico will play the Round of 32 against a third-place team in the Estadio Azteca in the nation's capital. Finish second and they will make the short hop over the frontera to Los Angeles, whose population is 50% Hispanic, most of them Mexican.
Friendly draws against Belgium and Portugal in 2026 suggest they can mix it with the top tier, but there is still little to suggest they can easily overcome the likes of UEFA's best, or indeed Argentina or Brazil. Mexico do not have the spread
Recent tournament form has been good, with victories in the finals of CONCACAF's 2025 Nations League and the 2023 and 2025 Gold Cups.
Mexico have a strong goalkeeping tradition and between the sticks should be Chivas' Raúl Rangel, aged 26 with barely a dozen appearances, but with backup from the legendary 41-year-old Guillermo Ochoa, at his sixth World Cup finals and on a whopping 151 caps.
In Javier Aguirre, they have one of the giants of the domestic game as their manager. The 67-year-old has vast experience, including spells in charge of Atletico Madrid, Egypt and Japan and 2026 will also be the third time he has led his country in the World Cup. Having returned to the hot seat in 2024, he has brought El Tri regional honours and brought stability back to the national team.
Aguirre announced a dozen of his squad at the end of April following the end of the Liga MX's Clausura season and his list opened a few eyebrows.
The standout selection was 17 year-old Gilberto Mora, the Tijuana attacking midfielder. Despite being Mexico's youngest-ever World Cup player, he has worked his way up from U-15 level for his country, with whom he now has five caps, and has played 50 times for his club, becoming Liga MX's record youngest scorer, aged only 15. Aguirre will surely be tempted to pick him, at least as a game-changing substitute, but he may rely instead on Atlético Madrid's American-born Obed Vargas for attacking bursts.
Mexico's three-man midfield is the key zone as the team play a possessive but proactive style of football, using short instead of long passing to get the ball wide quickly and driving forward with powerful runs.
Their skipper, defensive midfielder Edson Álvarez, will be the fulcrum. The former Ajax man has 95 caps and has spent a season at Fenerbahçe on loan from West Ham but at 28 still has plenty of running left in him.
Real Betis' Álvaro Fidalgo will be in consideration. He only has two caps but impressed recently in the draw against Belgium, El Tri's best performances for a while.
Toluca's Marcel Ruiz could play alongside them in the centre. He tore a knee ligament in March but has returned to action early, eschewing surgery as he is desperate for consideration.
Behind him, club teammate Jesús Gallardo, with his 118 caps, is a stalwart at left back. Genoa's Johan Vásquez will anchor central defence alongside César Montes, although the Lokomotiv Moscow man, nicknamed the puppy, hobbled off the field on the 1st of May and may be doubtful for the finals. Should he succumb, Tigres UANL's Jesús Angulo or América's Israel Reyes should deputise.
Up front, Fulham's Raùl Jiménez, aged 34 and with 123 caps, will be a familiar face and he will be aided by the attacking runs of Julián Quiñones, who plies his trade with Al-Qadsiah. As for the last attacking spot, there are two experienced options in Guadalajara winger Roberto Alvarado and striker Alexis Vega, who could add to the Toluca cohort.
The second phase remains El Tri's traditional graveyard and on the only two occasions they have managed to get past it to their longed-for quinto partido (fifth game), they promptly went out in the quarter-finals. On paper, they should not have struggled so often. Mexico is a soccer-mad nation of 133 million, and while theories vary, its isolation in a federation where football is not the premier sport, is perhaps the most salient.
Mexico '70 set the template for the modern World Cup with its advertising, colour television and synthetic balls and 2026 could finally see a perennially sleeping giant arise. They are highly unlikely to lift the trophy, but if the stars align El Tri could enjoy a ride like Morocco made in 2022.
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Mexico Kit 1 |
Mexico Kit 2 |
Mexico v South Africa 11th June, Mexico City
Mexico v South Korea, 18th June, Zapopan
Mexico v Czechia, 24th June, Mexico City
Coach
Coach: Javier Aguirre
Record
Best World Cup: Quarter-Finalists 1970 and 1986
Group Stage in 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022.
Formation
4-3-3
Men to watch
Edson Álvarez, Raùl Jiménez and Gilberto Mora.
Rated 80/1 to win the tournament, Mexico are probably a last 16 team on paper but as in 1986, they are a good bet to reach the last eight given the tournament's setting.
How they qualified
Joint host nation.
On the sidelines
Goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón misses out with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Raul Rangel (Guadalajara), Guillermo Ochoa (AEL Limassol), Carlos Acevedo (Santos Laguna)
Defenders: Jorge Sanchez (PAOK), Israel Reyes (Club America), Cesar Montes (Lokomotiv Moscow), Johan Vasquez (Genoa), Jesus Gallardo (Toluca), Mateo Chavez (AZ)
Midfielders: Erik Lira (Cruz Azul), Orbelin Pineda (AEK Athens), Alvaro Fidalgo (Real Betis), Roberto Alvarado, Brian Gutierrez, Luis Romo (Guadalajara), Edson Alvarez (West Ham), Obed Vargas (Atletico Madrid), Gilberto Mora (Tijuana), Luis Chavez (Dynamo Moscow)
Strikers: Cesar Huerta (Anderlecht), Alexis Vega (Toluca), Julian Quinones (Al-Qadsiah), Guillermo Martinez (UNAM), Armando Gonzalez (Guadalajara), Santiago Gimenez (AC Milan), Raul Jimenez (Fulham)
South Africa
Bafana Bafana are back at the finals for the first time since hosting them in 2010, but with a FIFA World Ranking of 60, they are not expected to improve on their first round finish that time. Back in 2010 they failed to escape another Group A also containing Mexico along with France and Uruguay.
Only five years after being readmitted to FIFA, the rainbow nation won the 1996 African Cup of Nations and began to export talents like Lucas Radebe, Phil Masinga, Shaun Bartlett and Steven Pienaar to Europe, heralding a bright future.
The momentum stuttered however and when hosting the 2010 finals shone a light on them, there was not much to show and they went out in the first round drawing with Mexico 1-1 then losing to Uruguay 0-3 before defeating France 2-1.
Third place in the 2023 African Cup of Nations seemed to have sparked a revival although in the 2025 edition they were edged 2-1 by Cameroon in the second round. But then against expectations, this year the South Africans finished a point above Nigeria in qualifying to qualify automatically for the biggest stage for the first time in 16 years.
Chances of success are slim. A lack of players at big clubs is worrying. Most of the squad play domestically and South African football exists in a bit of a tactical vacuum, while those who do ply their trade overseas at modest teams seem to be struggling for playing time.
What also stops Bafana advancing is the lack of experience playing teams from outside of their continent. Their last foray into European football for instance was a 1-1 friendly draw with little Andorra two years ago. Two friendlies with Panama in March, one drawn 1-1 and the other a 2-1 loss, do not bode well for this summer.
Facing the hosts in the tournament opener looks an impossible task, although the squad will arrive two weeks before to acclimatise to the altitude, plus hosts can choke and South Africa have nothing to lose in that match. It will thus be in the subsequent clashes with the Czechs and Koreans where they will be really tested and both those games look tall orders.
At least they have a reliable and respected coach in Belgian Hugo Broos, now in his sixth year at the helm, supplying much-needed stability, tactical discipline and man-managing the resources available. It will be his second World Cup in Mexico, having played there in 1986 for Belgium.
Broos has confirmed his team will arrive without pressure because nobody expects anything from South Africa this year, so there will be no blame for failure.
Another rock is their captain, goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who has spent his career in his domestic league, most recently with Mamelodi Sundowns, but was voted 9th best goalkeeper in the world in 2024 and made a legendary four shootout saves in the 2023 AFCON quarter-final win over Cape Verde.
In the centre, Mamelodi club colleague Teboho Mokoena was instrumental in Bafana's qualifying campaign and was often carrying the team. Up front, goals could be a problem but in a squad lacking overseas or top-flight experience, they still have in Burnley's Lyle Foster a striker with a season of Premier League football.
Supplying Foster will be two pairs of fleet feet - Oswin Appollis on the left flank and Reiebohlie Mofokeng on the right, who bring club understanding from Orlando Pirates. If all goes to plan then South Africa will bring wingbacks into play to have numbers in attack.
Bafana are still rated at around 1000/1 to win the tournament, but in itself that could take the pressure off them to focus on what Broos has identified as their Holy Grail - reaching the knockout stages for the first time.
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South Africa Kit 1 |
South Africa Kit 2 |
South Africa v Mexico, 11th June, Mexico City
South Africa v Czechia, 18th June, Atlanta
South Africa v South Korea, 24th June, Guadalupe, Monterrey
Coach
Hugo Broos
Record
Best World Cup: 1998, 2002, 2010 - Group Stage.
Formation
4-2-3-1
Men to watch
Lyle Foster, Teboko Mokoena and Ronwen Williams
1000/1 to win the cup, South Africa are favourites to finish bottom of Group A and head home.
How they qualified
Winner of Africa Group C one point clear of Nigeria and Benin.
On the sidelines
Themba Zwane, the 36 year-old Mamelodi Sundowns playmaker, is one of Broos' favourites, but has been struggling with a knee injury for some time.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Ricardo Goss (Siwelele), Sipho Chaine (Orlando Pirates)
Defenders: Khuliso Mudau, Aubrey Modiba, Khulumani Ndamane (all Mamelodi Sundowns), Olwethu Makhanya (Philadelphia Union), Bradley Cross (Kaizer Chiefs), Thabang Matuludi (Polokwane City), Nkosinathi Sibisi, Kamogelo Sebelebele (both Orlando Pirates), Ime Okon (Hannover), Samukele Kabini (Molde FK), Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Chicago Fire)
Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena, Jayden Adams (both Mamelodi Sundowns), Thalente Mbatha (Orlando Pirates), Sphephelo Sithole (Tondela)
Strikers: Oswin Appollis, Tshepang Moremi, Evidence Makgopa, Relebohile Mofokeng (all Orlando Pirates), Lyle Foster (Burnley), Iqraam Rayners, Themba Zwane (both Mamelodi Sundowns), Thapelo Maseko (AEL Limassol)
South Korea
The Taegeuk Warriors enter their 11th consecutive World Cup finals hoping to emulate their magical year of 2002 when they jointly hosted and reached the last four, beating Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain en route.
The Portuguese were their victims again in Qatar last time, but the champagne soon went flat as Brazil thrashed them 4-1 in the second round. They have returned with ease again having won their qualifying group but will face stiffer tests than Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Palestine.
All their group games are in Mexico and should they make it through then they should benefit from large expat support, particularly if they play in California. The heat and humidity of Central America will be familiar, as anyone who attended Korea in 2002 can testify.
Hopes were high in the second half of 2025 after the Reds had four impressive victories, beating Bolivia, Ghana, Paraguay and the USA. They also drew 2-2 with Mexico but they were walloped again by Brazil, this time 5-0. In 2026 however they have registered two gloomy defeats, losing 4-0 to the Ivory Coast at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, and 1-0 to Austria at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, to dampen expectations.
The Ivory Coast friendly in Milton Keynes typified their strengths and weaknesses. They used the width of the field well with no shortage of attacking endeavour, but at the back they were too easily outmuscled and caught ball-watching, leaving serious doubts about their defensive ability. 'The running men' is their traditional style, taking the game to the opposition, but playing on the front foot, as admirable and attractive as it is, is not enough alone to progress.
The onus for transitioning to a cannier style of play falls on manager Hong Myung-bo, their talisman defender from 2002 and three other World Cups who is now in his second stint in charge of the national team. He is well aware that in 2014 in Brazil his team finished last in the group, only taking a point from Russia and that, mindful of that failure, the Korean fan base were nonplussed by his reappointment, but as the second-most capped player of all time, he also commands his players' respect.
Myung-bo has spoken on alternating between three and four at the back but his preferred formation demands two defensive midfielders, although Korea's are arguably too attacking in nature. Options include Birmingham's Paik Seung-ho, who offers some stability in that role, Feyenoord's Hwang In-beom as well as Borussia Moenchengladbach's German-born Jens Castrup, who qualifies via his Korean mother.
Adding to the attacking choices, Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan makes powerful surges from midfield alongside fast dribbler Lee Kang-in, who has been starring for Champions League holders PSG and probably deserves more recognition. Then up front, former Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-gyu is probably the top Korean in Europe right now given his goals and performances for Besiktas.
So they have a lot to offer going forward and of course there is still Son Heung-min, the outstanding Korean of his generation. The former Tottenham hero is still leading the attack and now based in MLS with Los Angeles FC, will be on familiar soil if his country can get out of the group stage. Aged 33 he may not be the roadrunner of a few years ago but his top-level experience means no opposition defence will relish him bearing down upon them.
But it is in defence where they could slip up despite the presence of Bayern centre back Kim Min-jae. Protecting Tokyo FC goalkeeper Seung-gyu Kim alongside him could be Cho Yu-min, who plays with Sarjah in the UAE, with the full back slots filled by Austria Vienna's Lee Tae-seok on the left and Red Star's Seol Young-woo on the right. Another option at full back could be Kim Tae-hyon who also plays his football in the J-League.
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South Korea Kit 1 |
South Korea Kit 2 |
South Korea v Czech Republic, 12th June, Guadalajara
South Korea v Mexico, 19th June, Guadalajara
South Korea v South Africa, 24th June, Guadalupe, (Monterrey)
Coach
Hong Myung-bo
Record
Best World Cup: Semi-Finalists 2002.
Formation
4-2-3-1
Men to watch
Son Heung-Min, Hwang Hee-chan, Lee Kang-in, Oh Hyeong-Gyu.
South Korea are at 500/1 to win the World Cup. Recent form has been poor but Korea should get out of their group although a long run is unlikely.
How they qualified
Winners of Asian Group B, winning six and drawing four.
On the sidelines
Hwang In-beom is a fitness doubt having injured his knee ligaments in March. Mainz midfielder Lee Jae-sung suffered a broken toe in April.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan), Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk)
Defenders: Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Kim Tae-hyon (Kashima Antlers), Park Jin-seob (Zhejiang), Seol Young-woo (Red Star Belgrade), Jens Castrop (Borussia Monchengladbach), Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon), Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien), Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland), Cho Yu-min (Sharjah)
Midfielders: Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonbuk), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Paik Seung-ho (Birmingham), Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea), Lee Kang-in (Paris St-Germain), Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolves)
Strikers: Son Heung-min (LAFC), Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besitkas), Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland)
Czechia
It is odd to think the nation which produced Petr Čech, Pavel Nedvěd and Tomáš Rosický has never got beyond the first round but the Czech Republic has not even qualified since 2006, where, FIFA-ranked second in the world, they started with aplomb and a 3-0 dismissal of the USA in Gelsenkirchen, before unexpected twin 2-0 losses to Ghana and Italy sent them straight home.
The Euros have been a much happier hunting ground, as they reached the last eight in 2012 and 2020, the last four in 2004 and the final in 1996. So the talent is there but has yet to be shown on the biggest stage.
The Czechs made heavy weather of qualifying, losing 2-1 to the Faroe Islands and 5-1 to Croatia, but finishing second in Group L. At home in their playoff semifinal, they went 2-0 down to the Republic of Ireland but pulled two goals back before winning 4-3 on spot kicks. Another 2-2 draw and penalty shootout, against the Danes, took them to the finals.
Overseeing the fireworks is coach Miroslav Koubek, who at 74, will become the oldest coach in World Cup history. A manager since 1983, he only became national team boss shortly before Christmas after former boss Ivan Hašek was fired in the wake of the embarrassing Faroes defeat. With a dearth of world-class players and nobody playing for an elite club, the Czechs know that team spirit and togetherness are their best weapons.
West Ham's Tomáš Souček remains their midfield anchor for his strength, box-to-box energy and set piece prowess, although he recently lost the captain's armband to Wolves defender Ladislav Krečí, six years his junior, after being criticised for ignoring fans.
Krečí, despite domestic relegation, has been a breath of fresh air for his country, putting in enthusiastic performances in defence as well as scoring key goals in both playoffs. Six years younger than Souček, he is rated as the team's most valuable player and the hub of the team's future. He will start on the left side of a three-man backline but expect to see him in the opposition box a lot.
The spine is completed by PSV goalkeeper Matěj Kovář and at the other end striker Patrick Schick, whose decade in Serie A and the Bundesliga, 6'3” height and pace and Euro 2020 masterclass, where he finished joint top scorer with Cristiano Ronaldo and scored the goal of the tournament, have marked him out as a top gunner.
The other key man is Lyon midfielder Pavel Šulc, aged 25 the youngest of the cohort, but whose playmaking ability and vision have begun to shine and in Koubek he is playing under the man who brought him up at Viktoria Plzeň.
They arrive as a team without expectations and should have enough to beat South Africa, but facing the joint-hosts at the Azteca looks a tall order, which leaves their opener against the Koreans in the heat of Guadalajara as the decider.
Should they exceed expectations and reach the knock-out stages, they will be confident going into penalties as their goalkeeper Kovář emerged triumphant from both playoff shootouts with a string of saves.
So while they have obvious weaknesses, the Czechs will have fresh memories of the resilience and fight they found in the playoffs when they needed it most.
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Czechia Kit 1 |
Czechia Kit 2 |
Czechia v South Korea, 12th June, Guadalajara
Czechia v South Africa, 18th June, Atlanta
Czechia v Mexico, 25th June, Mexico City
Coach
Miroslav Koubek
Record
Best World Cup: Group Stage 2006.
Formation
3-4-2-1
Men to watch
Ladislav Krečí, Patrik Schick, Tomáš Souček, Pavel Šulc.
The Czechs are 300/1 to lift the trophy with most expecting a swift exit. With 32 of the 48 starters reaching the second round however, they can at least hope to get out of the group and achieve their best ever World Cup finish.
How they qualified
The Czechs qualified through Path D of the playoffs, beating Denmark 3-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in Prague.
On the sidelines
As Czechoslovakia, it is easy to forget they have reached more World Cup finals than England or Spain. They lost both times - 2-1 to Italy in 1934 and 3-1 to Brazil in 1962.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Lukas Hornicek (Braga), Matej Kovar (PSV Eindhoven), Jindrich Stanek (Slavia Prague)
Defenders: Vladimir Coufal (Hoffenheim), David Doudera (Slavia Prague), Tomas Holes (Slavia Prague), Robin Hranac (Hoffenheim), Stepan Chaloupek (Slavia Prague), David Jurasek (Slavia Prague), Ladislav Krejci (Wolverhampton), Jaroslav Zeleny (Sparta Prague), David Zima (Slavia Prague)
Midfielders: Lukas Cerv (Viktoria Plzen), Vladimir Darida (Hradec Kralove), Lukas Provod (Slavia Prague), Michal Sadilek (Slavia Prague), Hugo Sochurek (Sparta Prague), Alexandr Sojka (Viktoria Plzen), Tomas Soucek (West Ham), Pavel Sulc (Olympique Lyonnais), Denis Visinsky (Viktoria Plzen)
Strikers: Adam Hlozek (Hoffenheim), Tomas Chory (Slavia Prague), Mojmir Chytil (Slavia Prague), Jan Kuchta (Sparta Prague), Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen)