Mexico vs South Korea: Group A’s Top Spot Is on the Line | OneFootball

The mood surrounding Mexican fans feels tense—borderline pessimistic, even. Mexico’s 2-0 win over South Africa in the opening match of the World Cup somehow left a bitter taste.

Cynicism in Mexico City

“I spent 100,000 pesos ($5,000 USD) to come watch these idiots, and they don’t play worth a damn,” one Mexico supporter told me, visibly drunk, while grabbing my arm in an attempt to make it down the endless ramps of Estadio Ciudad de México.

The stadium was completely sold out, with more than 80,000 fans in attendance. Everything started like a party after Julián Quiñones found the net in the opening minutes, but both the match and Javier Aguirre’s team gradually fell into a rut—and so did the crowd.

Mexico even played with a two-man advantage against Bafana Bafana for part of the match, yet all they had to show for it in the end was a 2-0 victory.

Meanwhile, In Guadalajara…

Later that night in Guadalajara, South Korea defeated the Czech Republic 2-1, getting the result Mexico had hoped they wouldn’t. The Koreans refused to do El Tri any favors.

This Thursday, more than 20,000 South Korean supporters are expected inside Estadio Guadalajara for their nation’s second match of the 2026 World Cup.

Ironically, despite this being the third World Cup hosted by Mexico, it will be the first time the national team has ever played a World Cup match in Guadalajara. They’ll do it against a team playing its second game in the very same stadium—a place the Koreans already claim feels like home.

South Korea has made Guadalajara its base camp, and they aren’t intimidated by the host nation. In fact, they’ve started acting like the locals.

What’s at Stake

There will be plenty of nerves inside the stadium, which holds roughly 46,000 spectators. And why wouldn’t there be? The winner of this match will be in prime position to secure first place in Group A.

If the game ends in a draw, Mexico will remain atop the standings. However, South Korea closes the group stage against South Africa on June 24, while El Tri faces the Czech Republic. The Czechs will probably beat South Africa on Thursday in Atlanta and make this group a whole lot tighter.

If that happens, the pressure falls squarely on Mexico.

On Tuesday, the media was allowed to watch the opening 15 minutes of Mexico’s training session. And honestly? They looked relaxed. They joked around. Their body language didn’t resemble that of a team about to play one of the biggest matches of the tournament in front of its own fans.

They looked calm. Confident. Will they prove it on the pitch Thursday?

Or maybe we should trust the work Javier Aguirre has been doing a little more than we currently do.

Mexico traveled to Guadalajara later that same day, where the team was welcomed with fireworks, live music, drums, and hundreds of supporters gathered outside the team hotel in the “Pearl of the West,” as the capital of Jalisco is affectionately known.

The fans need to show up again and send South Korea a clear message—that the real owners of this house have finally arrived to reclaim what’s theirs.

Are the Players Ready?

In the build-up to the match, midfielder Luis Romo stirred controversy with comments that many fans viewed as far too soft, only adding fuel to the uncertainty surrounding the national team.

Romo’s remarks were met with heavy criticism from supporters, many of whom expected a far more ambitious message ahead of what is arguably Mexico’s biggest group-stage match.

He later added:

Starting XI Changes Expected

For Thursday’s match, Javier Aguirre is expected to make several changes.

Although Mexico won its World Cup opener, it’s no secret the manager wasn’t satisfied. In fact, he finished the game with more questions than answers.

“I wasn’t happy with the way we played. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with starting the World Cup with a win, but our overall performance wasn’t good enough. We should’ve scored another goal in the first half—we even hit the post. Then, after going 2-0 up in the second half, we took our foot off the gas. Even with fresh legs coming off the bench, we needed another goal, but it just didn’t happen,” Aguirre said after Mexico’s victory over South Africa.

The only guaranteed change is Edson Álvarez, who will enter the starting XI after center-back César Montes was suspended following his red card.

Reports also suggest that PAOK right-back Jorge Sánchez will replace Israel Reyes. Sánchez brings more pace and contributes more going forward, although his defensive shortcomings remain a concern.

He’ll almost certainly spend plenty of time dealing with Heung-min Son.

Good luck with that.

Another dilemma for Aguirre is whether to once again start Brian Gutiérrez, the former Chicago Fire midfielder who now plays for Chivas, or hand the nod to Gilberto Mora, Mexico’s teenage sensation and the youngest player at the tournament.

In recent hours, reports have emerged linking Gutiérrez with clubs in France, making his performances at this World Cup even more important for his future.

Up front, Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez—the two goalscorers against South Africa—are expected to keep their places.

South Korea Outlook

As for South Korea, very few changes are expected.

Their spine remains intact with Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in, and superstar Heung-min Son, now playing for LAFC.

Those three names alone are enough to make any opponent uncomfortable.

At the moment, Mexico doesn’t have a single player representing European heavyweights like Bayern Munich or PSG. The rest of South Korea’s squad may play in smaller European leagues or in the K League, but those three stars alone command plenty of respect.

Mexico and South Korea met in a friendly last year that ended in a 2-2 draw, although the Asians came painfully close to winning.

Santiago Giménez rescued El Tri with an equalizer in the 90+4th minute, saving Mexico from what would have been a disappointing defeat.

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