Group A · FIFA World Cup 2026
Group A — Mexico open the tournament at Estadio Azteca
Co-host Mexico face South Africa in the World Cup 2026 opening match. Son Heung-min's South Korea face Czechia's first World Cup in twenty years.
Teams in Group A
Group A overview
Group A opens the World Cup 2026. Mexico host the tournament's opening match against South Africa at Estadio Azteca on 11 June — the third time the iconic Mexico City venue has hosted a World Cup opener, after 1970 and 1986. Javier Aguirre returns for a third stint as Mexico head coach to lead the co-hosts on home soil. South Africa, under Hugo Broos, qualified for their first World Cup since 2010 by topping their CAF qualifying group ahead of Nigeria.
South Korea arrive for Son Heung-min's fourth and almost certainly final World Cup. The captain, now playing in MLS for LAFC, anchors a squad that also includes PSG's Lee Kang-in and Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae. They open against Czechia — making their first World Cup appearance since 2006 — at NRG Stadium in Houston later on the opening day.
Mexico are 67.0 outright favourites among the four. South Korea second favourites at 151.0, Czechia third, South Africa rank outsiders at 401.0. The group winner most likely faces a Group L runner-up (Ghana, Panama or Croatia) in the Round of 32.
Full match schedule
All six Group A fixtures with live odds from our three partner bookmakers — Mostbet, Fonbet, 1xBet. Click any match for the full preview, predicted lineups and value-bet picks.
Standings outlook & knockout path
Most likely winner: Mexico (priced around 1.85 to top the group). The home crowd factor at Azteca alone justifies favourite status, and Aguirre's tactical pragmatism suits a tournament opener.
Most likely runner-up: South Korea. Son's individual quality plus midfield depth (Lee Kang-in, Hwang In-beom) make them the safest second pick.
Best longshot for second: Czechia. The Hašek-coached side beat Italy in qualifying and has structural defensive solidity that travels.
Most likely third place qualifier: at this group's quality level, an early playing third place finisher likely needs at least 3 points to qualify across the eight third-place candidates.
Group A venues
| Fixture | Venue | City | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico vs South Africa · 11 Jun | Estadio Azteca | Mexico City | 87,000 |
| South Korea vs Czechia · 11 Jun | NRG Stadium | Houston | 72,220 |