World Cup 2026 – Group A guide: Hosts Mexico eye deep run with wonderkid Gilberto Mora set to dazzle | OneFootball

In one of the most evocative stadiums of all and under a searing afternoon sun, the World Cup will finally begin when Mexico face South Africa. And, for many, all the justifiable gripes with a bloated format, price gouging and political manoeuvring may instantly disappear following the first glimpse of the Azteca on their TV screens.

The co-hosts, on paper, should find this group straightforward but the outstanding question is how they will cope with the pressure and an opening day win against the least heralded of this quartet appears a must.

A winner from the meeting between Czech Republic, here thanks to what appeared a newly-acquired grittiness to progress from the play-offs, and South Korea could also prove an effective decider for who finishes second - although as the dozen groups go, this one carries more balance than the majority.

Group A fixtures

(all times BST)

Thursday 11 June, 20:00: Mexico vs South Africa – Mexico City

Friday 12 June, 03:00: Korea Republic vs Czech Republic – Guadalajara

Thursday 18 June, 17:00: Czech Republic vs South Africa – Atlanta

Friday 19 June, 02:00: Mexico vs Korea Republic – Guadalajara

Thursday 25 June, 02:00: Czech Republic vs Mexico – Mexico City

Thursday 25 June, 02:00: South Africa vs Korea Republic – Monterrey

Mexico

Automatically qualified, this will be El Tri’s 18th finals appearance and they should carry reasonable hope of reaching the quarter-finals for the third time and first since 1986 - the most recent occasion they were hosts.

Led by Javier Aguirre, in his third spell, Mexico will be determined to prove a point following a nightmare start to this decade. They failed to make it out of their group in Qatar on goal difference – conceding a 95th minute goal against Saudi Arabia in their third match – and, worse, lost a succession of CONCACAF finals against the USA before regaining the Gold Cup in 2023 and retaining it last summer.

Aguirre, whose previous teams exited at the round of 16 in 2002 and 2010, was re-appointed in July 2024 and has reverted the tactical approach to a familiar brand of relative chaos after the attempts to dominate possession under Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, the former Barcelona head coach, did not yield desired results.

In ‘86 their dreams were ended by a penalty defeat to West Germany in the quarters. Given the increased size of competition 40 years on and the depth of other nations, that stage is both a realistic ambition and their likely limit – although the most likely bracket suggests England would await in the last 16.

open image in gallery

Mora is among the most exciting young players at the tournament. (Getty)

Goalkeepers: Raul Rangel (Guadalajara), Guillermo Ochoa (AEL Limassol), Carlos Acevedo (Santos Laguna)

Midfielders: Erik Lira (Cruz Azul), Orbelin Pineda (AEK Athens), Alvaro Fidalgo (Real Betis), Roberto Alvarado (Guadalajara), Brian Gutierrez (Guadalajara), Luis Romo (Guadalajara), Edson Alvarez (West Ham), Obed Vargas (Atletico Madrid), Gilberto Mora (Tijuana), Luis Chavez (Dynamo Moscow)

Forwards: Cesar Huerta (Anderlecht), Alexis Vega (Toluca), Julian Quinones (Al-Qadsiah), Guillermo Martinez (UNAM), Armando Gonzalez (Guadalajara), Santiago Gimenez (AC Milan), Raul Jimenez (Fulham)

Coach: Javier Aguirre

Star player – Raul Jimenez, Fulham: This will be the veteran centre-forward’s fourth World Cup and, finally, he might start a game. In 2014 there was a single, six-minute appearance off the bench in a scoreless draw with Brazil. Four years later he made two cameos as a substitute without notable impact. And in Qatar he was sprung on in all three group games as El Tri went no further. On home soil and off the back of a steady campaign at Fulham, the time appears to have finally arrived for Jimenez to take a starring role. He is, by some distance, the biggest name in the present squad and there is an expectation that a player with more than 120 caps and approaching 50 international goals must fire for the co-hosts to prosper.

Breakout talent – Gilberto Mora, Tijuana: The 17-year-old attacking midfielder is not just expected to play a role here but have a queue of scouts wagging their tongues at every display of flair. He has already broken a number of age records held, briefly, by Lamine Yamal and Pele - including the youngest player to win a senior international when aged 16 and 265 days. Once Mora turns 18 he is set to depart for Europe and Aguirre has seen little point in shutting down talk of him becoming a star. “He’s surely on the radar of several huge clubs around the world and it fills me with pride to see him being talked about on the global stage,” the Mexico head coach said, evidently holding few reservations around throwing a special talent in at the deepest end of all.

Fifa ranking: 15.

Odds to win the World Cup: 66/1.

Back on the biggest stage for the first time since hosting in 2010, will there be a moment to rival “Goal, Bafana, Bafana” in a repeat of that opening fixture 16 years ago? Probably not.

They entered last winter’s Africa Cup of Nations with high hopes of a deep run only for Cameroon to win a round of 16 meeting 2-1, while their qualification for this tournament appeared in some jeopardy after being docked three points after midfielder Teboho Mokoena mistakenly played in a qualifier versus Lesotho despite being suspended because of an accumulation of yellow cards..

Lyle Foster, the Burnley forward, may be the only recognisable name for fans watching on from the UK but their big strength will be familiarity. Eight of the squad are clubmates for Mamelodi Sundowns, the dominant domestic team who had won eight of the previous titles before Orlando Pirates pipped them by a point this season. There are eight Pirates in the squad too.

That camaraderie will be key if they are to cause a surprise, though head coach Hugo Broos, a 74-year-old veteran, is hardly spelling out grand expectations. “We’re going to do our best but I don’t think anyone will blame us if we don’t make it out of the group,” he said recently.

open image in gallery

Williams has repeatedly been South Africa’s hero between the posts. (AP)

Squad

Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Ricardo Goss (Siwelele FC), Sipho Chaine (Orlando Pirates)

Defenders: Khuliso Mudau (Mamelodi Sundowns), Olwethu Makhanya (Philadelphia Union), Bradley Cross (Kaizer Chiefs), Thabang Matuludi (Polokwane City), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Orlando Pirates), Aubrey Modiba (Mamelodi Sundowns), Khulumani Ndamane (Mamelodi Sundowns), Ime Okon (Hannover 96), Samukele Kabini (Molde FK), Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Chicago Fire)

Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Jayden Adams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thalente Mbatha (Orlando Pirates), Sphephelo Sithole (CD Tondela)

Forwards: Oswin Appollis (Orlando Pirates), Tshepang Moremi (Orlando Pirates), Evidence Makgopa (Orlando Pirates), Lyle Foster (Burnley), Iqraam Rayners (Mamelodi Sundowns), Relebohile Mofokeng (Orlando Pirates), Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns), Patrick Maswanganyi (Orlando Pirates), Kamogelo Sebelebele (Orlando Pirates), Thapelo Morena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thapelo Maseko (AEL Limassol).

Coach: Hugo Broos.

Star player – Ronwen Williams, Mamelodi Sundowns: Those who spent a reasonable amount of time watching last summer’s Club World Cup - which, beyond any action on the pitch, served as a a logistical dress rehearsal for what is about to follow - will recognise South Africa’s captain-goalkeeper for being the first penalised for holding on to the ball for more than eight seconds. He is also a dab hand at getting his hands on penalty kicks: in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Cup of Nations he saved just the quartet of spotters from Cape Verde, earning global media attention. The chances of him being required in a shootout come the knockout stages here are slim but without his presence between the posts the group’s outsiders would have an even smaller chance of progress.

Breakout talent – Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Chicago Fire: The centre back, 20, has overcome a tricky adaption period before settling into being one of Major League Soccer’s most dependable defenders this year and he hopes that his experience of playing across North America can assist Bafana Bafana - though two of their fixtures are in Mexico. Nicknamed TLB (Tractor, Loader, Backhoe) in a nod to his physicality on the pitch, Mbokazi may not be the tallest central defender at the tournament, measuring up at 5”10, but he is stocky and fond of playing the ball out from the back. "Our aim is to get a win, and it’s going to call us to be unified as a team and to work together to succeed,” he said, setting the bar slightly higher than Broos.

Fifa ranking: 60.

Odds to win the World Cup: 1000/1.

Entering an 11th consecutive World Cup, South Korea appear in a rut. Since finishing fourth as co-hosts in 2002, they have alternated between group stage exits and last-16 defeats, meaning the obvious gauge of success this summer will be to win a knockout tie.

To do so Hong Myung-Bo, the 2002 captain now serving a mediocre second spell as head coach since 2024, will need to inject some more personality into a team still reliant upon Son Heung-min, who turns 34 during the latter stages.

Hwang Hee-chan (Wolves), Paik Seung-ho (Birmingham), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea) and Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic) ensure a healthy contingent of players performing for British clubs, while Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in will need to offer plenty in midfield for them to progress.

There are concerns at the back, though Hong has at least been experimenting. The use of a three-man defence in a 4-0 friendly defeat to Ivory Coast and a 1-0 loss against Austria in March was met with severe frustration from supporters. A four-man back-line will be deployed here.

open image in gallery

Son remains the most important player for South Korea. (Reuters)

Squad

Goalkeepers: Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan), Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo), Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk)

Defenders: Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Kim Tae-hyon (Kashima Antlers), Park Jin-seob (Zhejiang), Seol Young-woo (Red Star Belgrade), Jens Castrop (Borussia Monchengladbach), Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon), Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien), Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland), Cho Yu-min (Sharjah)

Midfielders: Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonbuk), Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Paik Seung-ho (Birmingham), Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolves)

Forwards: Son Heung-min (LAFC), Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besitkas), Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland)

Coach: Hong Myung-bo

Star player – Son Heung Min, Los Angeles FC: Entering a fourth World Cup, the former Spurs star is within reach of several individual records - including becoming his country’s all-time top scorer and the continent of Asia’s leading scorer at World Cups - but what really matters is leading the team out of the group stages and, finally, win a knockout match.

Breakout talent – Jens Castrop, Borussia Monchengladbach: Dusseldorf-born Castrop played at every age group from under-16 to under-21 for Germany before changing to the nation of his mother’s birth at the beginning of last summer. He has spent the majority of Borussia Monchengladbach’s campaign in midfield but so short is Hong of options in the full-back roles that Castrop is expected to be deployed on the left side of defence.

Fifa ranking: 25.

Odds to win the World Cup: 500/1.

Czech Republic

They entered the play-offs in supposed shambles but arrive at the World Cup with a newly-acquired sense of fortitude. Miroslav Koubek, 74, was installed as head coach following a dire group campaign that ended with Tomas Soucek stripped of the captaincy because of a row with fans. They started awfully against Ireland in their semi-final, too, only to be gifted a penalty when two goals down, eventually progressing to a final with Denmark via penalties.

The Danes dominated that encounter, peppering the Czech goal in a game that again ended with a shootout. Again, they were flawless from the spot and from an unlikely position seem to have developed a bloody-mindedness that overwrites the absence of coherent, attacking football.

This is a squad packed with familiar names; mostly because they have been around for so long. Having qualified for all eight European Championships since the break up of Czechoslovakia, this is just a second World Cup appearance and their 2006 tournament ended in the group stage. Making it to a maiden knockout tie would be progress for a team whose presence appeared doubtful more than once.

open image in gallery

Schick is the key man for an experienced Czechia squad. (Getty)

Squad

Goalkeepers: Lukas Hornicek (Braga), Matej Kovar (PSV Eindhoven), Jindrich Stanek (Slavia Prague)

Defenders: Vladimir Coufal (TSG Hoffenheim), David Doudera (Slavia Prague), Tomas Holes (Slavia Prague), Robin Hranac (TSG Hoffenheim), Stepan Chaloupek (Slavia Prague), David Jurasek (Slavia Prague), Ladislav Krejci (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Jaroslav Zeleny (Sparta Prague), David Zima (Slavia Prague)

Midfielders: Lukas Cerv (Viktoria Plzen), Vladimir Darida (Hradec Kralove), Lukas Provod (Slavia Prague), Michal Sadilek (Slavia Prague), Hugo Sochurek (Sparta Prague), Alexandr Sojka (Viktoria Plzen), Tomas Soucek (West Ham), Pavel Sulc (Lyon), Denis Visinsky (Viktoria Plzen)

Forwards: Adam Hlozek (TSG Hoffenheim), Tomas Chory (Slavia Prague), Mojmir Chytil (Slavia Prague), Jan Kuchta (Sparta Prague), Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen)

Coach: Miroslav Koubek.

Star player – Patrick Schick, Bayer Leverkusen: The attack leans upon the 30-year-old, who is averaging a little under a goal every two caps and is destined to be remembered for that long-range striker against Scotland at Euro 2020. Tomas Chory, of Slavia Prague, looked way off it when leading the line against Ireland in March, while Schick operated slightly behind, and it would be a surprise if Koubek persists with that system here. Schick managed 16 Bundesliga goals as Leverkusen faded down to sixth - a still creditable return.

Breakout talent – Ladislav Krejci, Wolves: When a squad is this packed with old hands, it is impossible to name a breakout star in its strictest meaning but Krejci, one of the bright spots for relegated Wolves, is one whose stock beyond the Black Country could rise considerably. Captain when Soucek was demoted in March, he was vital to the resurgence against Ireland and performs with an all-action style that is easy to get behind. His loan from Girona is expected to be made permanent by Wolves at the time of writing, despite their slip to the Championship, but he could prove that he is deserving of a top-tier place with a decent showing over the next couple of weeks.

Fifa ranking: 40.

Odds to win the World Cup: 300/1.

Mexico should progress with a degree of comfort - unless the pressure of hosting becomes unbearable. Beyond that there is an element of intrigue that cannot be applied to every group. It is the proverbial toss of a coin between Czech Republic and South Korea when it comes to forecasting who finishes second with their meeting in Guadalajara on the opening night decisive. South Africa are unlikely to be hammered in any of their three fixtures but lack the attacking strength to make it into the last 32.