2026 FIFA World Cup: Group A preview, what to know

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Major League Soccer

·5 Juni 2026

2026 FIFA World Cup: Group A preview, what to know

By MLSsoccer staff

Group A at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature co-hosts Mexico, Czechia, South Africa and South Korea.

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The top two teams from each group, as well as the top eight third-place finishers, advance to the knockout phase (Round of 32).

Here's what awaits in Group A during the expanded 48-team tournament, which will unfold from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Group A schedule

June 11 - 3 pm ET: Mexico vs. South Africa | Mexico City, Mexico
June 11 - 10 pm ET: South Korea vs. Czechia | Guadalajara, Jalisco
June 18 - 12 pm ET: Czechia vs. South Africa | Atlanta, Georgia
June 18 - 9 pm ET: Mexico vs. South Korea | Guadalajara, Jalisco
June 24 - 9 pm ET: Czechia vs. Mexico | Mexico City, Mexico
June 24 - 9 pm ET: South Africa vs. South Korea | Monterrey, Nuevo León

Mexico

FIFA World Ranking: 15th
How they qualified: Auto-qualified as host nation
Head coach: Javier Aguirre

Key players

Raúl Jiménez: El Tri's third all-time leading scorer with 44 goals, Jiménez has spent over a decade playing in Europe's top leagues and currently plies his trade with English club Fulham.
Edson Álvarez: Mexico's captain, Álvarez plays for Turkish giants Fenerbahçe and provides defensive solidity as either a holding midfielder or center back.
Guillermo Ochoa: At age 40, the legendary "Memo" made history as the first goalkeeper to be called up to six World Cups.
Gilberto Mora: The 17-year-old Club Tijuana phenom is considered one of the top teenage prospects worldwide. He scored LIGA MX's lone goal at the 2025 MLS All-Star Game.

World Cup History

Mexico will be making their 18th World Cup appearance and ninth straight trip.

El Tri have twice reached the quarterfinals, both times as tournament hosts (1970, '86).

Expectations

Can Mexico repeat, or even surpass, their previous quarterfinal runs as World Cup hosts? The pressure is on head coach Javier Aguirre and his squad this summer.

South Africa

FIFA World Ranking: 60th
How they qualified: CAF qualification Group C winners
Head coach: Hugo Broos

Key players

Mbekezeli Mbokazi: The 20-year-old center back has been a revelation in his debut MLS season, helping Chicago Fire FC concede just 16 goals through 14 games and was recently named an All-Star.
Lyle Foster: With 10 goals in 27 caps, Foster is South Africa's top scoring threat. He stars for EFL Championship side Burnley.
Ronwen Williams: South Africa's captain and goalkeeper has a reputation as a penalty-kick specialist. He famously made four PK shootout saves to send the Bafana Bafana to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations semifinals.

World Cup History

South Africa will be making their fourth World Cup appearance and first trip since hosting the tournament in 2010.

The Bafana Bafana have never advanced beyond the group stage of the competition.

Expectations

Can South Africa rise to the occasion and reach the World Cup knockout stages for the first time this summer?

South Korea

FIFA World Ranking: 25th
How they qualified: AFC qualification third round Group B winners
Head coach: Hong Myung-Bo

Key players

Son Heung-Min: A South Korean legend, Son has a league-best nine assists with LAFC this season after joining the Black & Gold last summer from Tottenham Hotspur. He is South Korea's all-time leader in appearances (145) and second in goals (56).
Kim Min-Jae: The center back helped Bayern Munich win a second-straight German Bundesliga title while allowing just 36 goals during the 2025-26 season.
Lee Kang-In: South Korea's Footballer of the Year for 2025, Lee became the second Asian player in history to win the UEFA Champions League last year with French titans Paris Saint-Germain before repeating the feat in 2026.

World Cup history

South Korea have qualified for 12 World Cups, and this summer's tournament will be their 11th straight appearance.

They co-hosted the 2002 edition of the competition along with Japan, delivering their best-ever performance with a fourth-place finish.

Expectations

South Korea have a bona fide superstar in Son, a strong supporting cast, and a well-established reputation as an Asian powerhouse. A deep run definitely isn't out of the question.

Czech Republic

FIFA World Ranking: 41st
How they qualified: UEFA playoff Path D winner
Head coach: Miroslav Koubek

Key players

Patrik Schick: The Bayer Leverkusen striker was Czechia's top scorer during 2026 World Cup qualifying with five goals.
Pavel Šulc: An attacking midfielder for Ligue 1 side Lyon, Šulc scored a team-high 11 goals for his club this past season.
Tomáš Souček: Czechia's most-capped active player (90 appearances) remains a key midfield piece at both the national team and club level with West Ham United.

World Cup History

Czechia were formerly a part of Czechoslovakia before becoming a sovereign state in 1993. They made their first and only World Cup appearance in 2006, exiting in the group stage.

Expectations

The lone European nation in Group A, Czechia will like their odds of reaching the knockout stages for the first time this summer.