The 2026 World Cup is the biggest edition in the tournament’s history, as 48 nations are in Mexico, Canada and the United States to battle for football’s most coveted prize.
The 2026 World Cup group stage got underway on 11th June when co-hosts Mexico kicked off their campaign against South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca. With home advantage firmly in their corner, El Tri are expected to top Group A and have started on a bright note with victory on the opening day, while South Korea also followed suit.
Under the expanded 48-team format, third place may yet be enough to progress depending on the points accumulated across all groups, which adds a fascinating extra dimension to what already promises to be a fiercely contested section, leaving South Africa and Czech Republic with a lot to play for despite suffering opening day defeats.
MrFixitsTips runs the rule over all four teams, assessing their chances of survival and identifying the key players, fixtures and odds.
Which teams are in Group A of the 2026 World Cup?
Mexico
Current FIFA ranking: 15th
Mexico are appearing at their 18th World Cup and qualified automatically as co-hosts of the tournament alongside the United States and Canada. El Tri will hope home conditions can help them finally overcome their long-standing round-of-16 barrier.
Mexico’s best World Cup finishes came in 1970 and 1986, when they reached the quarter-finals on home soil, although the CONCACAF nation exited in the group stage of the 2022 edition after finishing behind Argentina and Poland.
The co-hosts have started well, picking up a 2-0 win over South Africa in a game that saw two red cards for their opponents and one for them.
The lively Julian Quinones eventually bagged the reward for Mexico's high-intensity press, when he finished well beneath Ronwen Williams in ghe ninth minute after South Africa had surrendered possesion at the edge of their box. That goal was the fastest opening goal at the tournament since Philipp Lahm scored in the sixth minute against Costa Rica in 2006.
Raul Jimenez scored his first World Cup goal to make it 2-0 in the 67th minute, heading home a fine cross from Roberto Alvarado. However, the win came at a cost, with Cesar Montes sent off deep into stoppage time and set to miss the next match.
Mexico strengthened their position further on matchday two with a hard-fought victory over South Korea, a result that secured qualification for the knockout rounds and moved them to the brink of winning Group A.
El Tri once again showed the intensity and organisation that have characterised their tournament so far, overcoming one of the strongest teams in the section and reinforcing their credentials as potential dark horses on home soil.
With six points from two matches, Mexico now head into their final group fixture against Czechia knowing that avoiding defeat should be enough to secure top spot and a potentially more favourable route through the knockout stages.
Manager and tactics
Javier Aguirre is leading Mexico at his third World Cup. His sides are typically organised, disciplined and difficult to break down. Mexico usually operate in either a 4-1-4-1 or 4-2-3-1 formation, pressing aggressively and relying on attacking width from the full-backs.
Key player
Raul Jimenez remains Mexico’s most experienced attacking threat and was on target against South Africa, heading home from a fine cross in the second half. The Fulham striker is expected to play a much larger role than he managed at previous World Cups, and he has started on a bright note with his first ever goal in the competition's history.
Gilberto Mora is one of the youngest players at the tournament and one of the most exciting, a fact made evident by the crowd's loud cheer when he came on in the opening game. The 17-year-old midfielder has already established himself at senior international level and is attracting interest from Europe’s biggest clubs.
South Korea
Current FIFA ranking: 25th
South Korea secured qualification by finishing top of their group during the third round of AFC qualifying, extending their remarkable run of World Cup appearances to 11 consecutive editions.
The Taegeuk Warriors produced their best-ever performance in 2002 when they finished fourth as co-hosts alongside Japan, while they also reached the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
They have kicked off this edition on a positive note, fighting back from a goal down to claim a deserved 2-1 win over Czech Republic, inspired by In-Beom Hwang's brilliant performance which produced a goal and an assist.
Hwang levelled the scores with a superb finish after South Korea had fallen behind, before providing a pinpoint cross that Oh Hyeon-Gyu converted 10 minutes from time to complete the turnaround.
However, their momentum was checked on matchday two as they suffered a narrow defeat to Mexico in a contest that had major implications for the battle to finish top of Group A.
Despite creating several promising openings and enjoying spells of control, the Taegeuk Warriors were unable to find a way back after falling behind, leaving them on three points from their opening two matches.
Nevertheless, South Korea remain firmly in contention for a place in the knockout rounds and will head into their final group fixture knowing that a victory could be enough to secure qualification, depending on results elsewhere in the group.
Manager and tactics
Hong Myung-bo has increasingly moved towards a back-three system against stronger opponents. South Korea are now more cautious than in previous years, prioritising defensive structure while looking to release their attacking players quickly in transition. Son Heung-min is expected to operate centrally, with support arriving from wide areas and overlapping wing-backs.
Key player
Now playing for Los Angeles FC in MLS, Son Heung-min remains South Korea's biggest attacking threat. The former Tottenham Hotspur captain is closing in on the national scoring record and still possesses the movement and finishing quality to decide tight matches.
Son enters the World Cup on 56 international goals, just two behind the 58 scored by Cha Bum-kun between 1972 and 1986. That pursuit of history adds extra significance to South Korea's Group A campaign and gives the tournament one of its most compelling individual storylines..
Czech Republic
Current FIFA ranking: 41st
This will be the Czech Republic’s second World Cup appearance as an independent nation after their debut in 2006, where they were eliminated in the group stage.
Narodak booked their place at the 2026 finals through the UEFA play-offs, edging past Denmark after a tense qualifying campaign.
However, they have kicked off the 2026 World Cup on a poor note, losing 2-1 to South Korea, despite taking the lead via Ladislav Krejci just before the hour mark. After In-Beom Hwang restored parity, Tomas Soucek thought he had put Czechia back in front with a header from a free kick, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside, as South Korea then completed the turnaround with a late winner.
Miroslav Koubek's side has an opportunity to pick up maximum points on matchday two against South Africa, but they could only settle for a 1-1 draw, surrendering the lead again like they did on matchday one.
The result left Czechia in third with one point heading into the final round of fixtures, as they now face a challenging task to break into the top two with Mexico and South Korea occupying the qualification places.
Czech Republic will likely need a victory in their final group match, while also relying on favourable results elsewhere, if they are to extend their stay in the tournament.
Manager and tactics
Miroslav Koubek is currently the oldest manager at the tournament at 74 and took charge in December 2025 following Ivan Hasek’s departure. The Czechs generally line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation built around defensive organisation, wing-back width and quick transitions into Patrik Schick.
Key player
Patrik Schick remains the focal point in attack. The Bayer Leverkusen forward is a proven tournament performer whose aerial ability and penalty-box movement make him a constant threat.
South Africa
Current FIFA ranking: 60th
South Africa return to the World Cup for the first time since hosting the competition in 2010. Qualification represented a significant achievement and has generated renewed optimism around the national team.
A strong domestic foundation has helped, with many squad members playing together at club level. The challenge now is proving they can compete consistently against stronger international opposition.
Their campaign began in disappointing fashion with a 2-0 defeat to co-hosts Mexico, conceding once in each half and finishing the match with nine men. Yaya Sithole endured a particularly difficult evening, losing possession in the build-up to Mexico's opening goal before being sent off early in the second half.
Substitute Themba Zwane was also dismissed following a VAR review for a challenge on Roberto Alvarado.
However, South Africa showed resilience in their second outing, battling to a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic to claim their first point of the tournament. The result kept their qualification hopes alive heading into the final round of group fixtures, although they remain outsiders to progress.
Bafana Bafana now face a must-win scenario in their final match and will likely need other results to go their way if they are to reach the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
Manager and tactics
Hugo Broos has spent five years rebuilding the national side. South Africa generally operate in a compact 4-2-3-1 system, relying on defensive organisation and quick counter-attacks
Key player
Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams is arguably the most influential figure in the squad, although Burnley striker Lyle Foster provides their main attacking outlet.
2026 World Cup Group A fixtures and odds
Group A guide & predictions
Mexico were the clear favourites heading into the opening fixture against South Africa, as bookies had them at 1/2 while the Africans were priced at 9/2 – and the result odds were accurate given the result.
Meanwhile, Czech Republic (6/4) were slightly backed against South Korea (8/5) even though it was close, but the Europeans were the one that narrowly lost out to the Asians.
On matchday two, Czech Republic (4/5) were favourites, but not overwhelmingly so, with the draw (13/5) considered a realistic possibility. The market slightly overrated the Europeans, but a stalemate was not a major surprise given the prices, as South Africa (17/5) performed better than expected to earn a point.
Mexico (1/1) were narrow favourites and justified that status with a hard-fought victory. The match was competitive and the one-goal margin reflected the relatively close odds, but the bookmakers correctly identified Mexico as the most likely winner.
2026 World Cup Group A group winners and qualification predictions
Group winner odds
- Mexico – N/A
- South Korea – 3.00
- Czech Republic – 13.00
- South Africa – 126.00
To qualify odds
- Mexico – N/A
- South Korea – 1.062
- Czech Republic – 3.00
- South Africa – 5.50
Note: All above odds were correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Mexico should go ahead to top the group on home soil and that is evident from the odds, with the Estadio Azteca providing a formidable fortress and altitude advantage over visiting sides. The contest for second place is where the group becomes genuinely intriguing.
Czech Republic and South Korea were very closely matched heading into the tournament, but the Koreans have shot ahead after two matchdays. The Czechs' proven resilience and set-piece threat make them dangerous opponents, and they will hope to exploit that in the game against Mexico, as a win that fixture could be what makes all the difference for them.
Mexico are now certain to qualify, with South Korea next in line, but Czech still have a good chance as well as reflected in the odds.
South Africa have a longshot at qualification, and if they somehow pull it off from this point, it would be one of the shocking outcomes at this tournament. Broos will send them out organised and full of belief like he did against Czechia, but the gap in quality is likely to prove decisive against South Korea.
Predicted finishing order
- Mexico
- South Korea
- Czech Republic
- South Africa
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi is a sports writer with more than four years’ experience covering football and other global sports. A lifelong Arsenal supporter since 2004, he writes with genuine passion and a sharp eye for the stories that shape the game.
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