World Cup Group A: “Unknown” Players to Watch | OneFootball

We are just hours away from the start of the World Cup, and the media spotlight is naturally focused on Group A, as Mexico, one of the tournament hosts, will welcome South Africa on June 11 in the opening match of the biggest event in international soccer.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. local time, noon PT, so make sure you get your workout in, grab breakfast, pour yourself a coffee, and turn on the TV. Chances are your favorite sports show will be talking about everything happening in Mexico City when El Tri and Bafana Bafana step onto the field in what will be the third World Cup hosted by the Estadio Azteca.

Pelé shined here in 1970. Maradona did the same in 1986. The final may be played in New York, but the historic soul of this World Cup still lives in the Mexican capital.

Every team in Group A arrives with its biggest stars ready to take center stage. Raúl Jiménez will lead Mexico’s attack; Son Heung-min carries South Korea’s hopes. Patrik Schick remains Czechia’s main offensive weapon, and South Africa is putting much of its faith in the feet of Lula Foster as they attempt to escape a group where most predictions have them finishing last.

But beyond those players expected to dominate the headlines, there is another category of footballers worth paying attention to: the “unknowns.” Players who may not be household names around the world yet, but who see this World Cup as the perfect opportunity to introduce themselves to fans everywhere and, why not, attract the attention of a major European club looking for its next signing.

So here are Group A’s “unknown” players who could end up becoming very well known over the next few weeks.

Mexico: Armando González

Nicknamed “La Hormiga” (“The Ant”), a name he earned after developing a fear of ants when he accidentally stepped into an anthill as a child, Armando González has become one of Mexican soccer’s most intriguing success stories.

Just a year ago, he was virtually unknown, playing in Chivas’ youth system. Fast forward to today, and after establishing himself in the first team—particularly over the last two tournaments—González has attracted interest from major European clubs, including Borussia Dortmund.

In 63 appearances for Chivas, he has scored 29 goals and claimed the Liga MX Golden Boot during the Apertura 2025 season.

He is currently valued at around $15 million, and a strong World Cup could send that figure soaring even higher. CSKA Moscow came close to signing him last season, but the 23-year-old decided to remain in Mexico to continue his development.

The biggest obstacle for “La Hormiga” may simply be the depth chart.

Javier Aguirre brought five center forwards to the World Cup: Raúl Jiménez, Santiago Giménez, Julián Quiñones, Guillermo Martínez, and González himself.

That reality could significantly limit his playing time during the tournament. He has one goal in seven appearances for El Tri, but he did not feature in either of Mexico’s final friendlies against Australia and Serbia, which is not exactly an encouraging sign heading into the World Cup.

South Africa: Relebohile Mofokeng

The moment you see that someone was born in 2004, you automatically feel old. 

The bad news? He is not even one of the youngest players at the World Cup. That honor belongs to Mexico’s Gilberto Mora, who was born in 2008.

But back to Relebohile Mofokeng.

The Orlando Pirates winger, who plays in South Africa’s Betway Premiership, is currently valued at around $3 million—a significant number for a player from the South African league.

During the 2025-26 season, he made 27 appearances for Orlando Pirates, who ended the campaign as league champions. Mofokeng played a crucial role in ending Mamelodi Sundowns’ reign after eight consecutive league titles.

The left winger scored 10 goals and added eight assists, making him one of South Africa’s most exciting players entering the tournament.

His performances with Bafana Bafana, however, have been far less spectacular. He is still looking for his first international goal after 13 appearances.

Could the biggest stage in world soccer finally be where he announces himself to the world?

Czechia: Hugo Sochůrek

At just 18 years old, Sochůrek is one of the youngest players at the tournament.

He recently became the youngest player ever to appear for the Czech national team and is widely regarded as one of the country’s brightest prospects.

Will he start? Probably not.

Will Czech fans spend the entire tournament demanding that he start after every match? Absolutely.

He is already valued at more than $3.5 million, which is not bad at all for a teenager.

Sochůrek has only one senior international appearance, making his inclusion in Czechia’s final 26-man squad somewhat surprising. Then again, when you have a gem like this, bringing him to the World Cup makes perfect sense. You want to see what he can do under the brightest lights.

He is a midfielder with pace, technical ability, and excellent ball control. The catch? He has played only 10 matches in the Czech first division for Sparta Prague, one of the country’s most popular clubs.

Ten club appearances. One international cap. That is not exactly a massive sample size. Still, if you bring a player of his talent to a World Cup, chances are you plan on using him.

Only time will tell whether manager Miroslav Koubek was right to trust a teenager with so little experience, or whether keeping him on the bench would have been the wiser decision.

South Korea: Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic)

The 23-year-old winger enjoyed a strong season with Celtic and arrives at the World Cup full of confidence.

Another wide player, which means that alongside Son Heung-min, South Korea could possess one of the most dangerous flanks in Group A.

The Celtic winger is valued at close to $5 million and played an important role during the 2025-26 season, when the Scottish giants completed a remarkable title-winning campaign.

After spending part of the season near the bottom of the table, Celtic dramatically overtook Hearts on the final matchday to capture the championship.

Yang finished the season strongly, scoring seven goals in 26 appearances.

Like the other players on this list, he is still very young and far from being an established global superstar.

His international résumé remains modest as well. Yang has earned just nine caps for South Korea and has yet to score his first goal for the national team.

Maybe the World Cup is exactly the stage he needs to change that.

We also recommend: https://hooligan-soccer.com/who-to-watch-mexicos-gilberto-mora/