World Cup 2026 Group A Preview: Mexico, Korea, Czechia, South Africa

It all starts in Mexico. On June 11, Estadio Azteca will roar to life as El Tri hosts South Africa to kick off the 2026 World Cup. Group A is stacked with storylines and stars, as Czechia, South Korea, South Africa and Mexico vie for advancement into the Round of 32. Here's what to know.

Mexico (El Tri)

Coach Javier Aguirre

Hot take. This is the year the quinto partido (or sexto partido) curse finally fades. Mexico has the draw, the home crowd, and enough talent to reach a quarterfinal for the first time since 1986

One thing to know that'll make you sound smart to your friends. "Gilberto Mora is being touted as a generational player from Mexico. When he plays a game this WC, he'll become the sixth or seventh youngest player ever to play in a World Cup."

Word from home. Aguirre went on a podcast and called Group A "de pechito," literally a chest-high ball that drops in perfectly, meaning the group's there for the taking. Mexican media rebuffed it almost immediately:

"Confidence is good. Then you have to play the matches." David Faitelson, Infobae

The story. Mexico is the first country to host three World Cups, and the weight shows. The press wants a quarterfinal, which would be the country's first in 40 years. El Tri brought an older team to Qatar and flamed out in the group stage.

Head vs. heart. Opta's supercomputer, which ran the tournament 10,000 times, has Mexico escaping the group in 87 percent of them but winning the whole thing in 1 percent.

One thing to read. Mexico Can't Let This Chance Slip By, Defector (2026).

South Korea (Taeguk Warriors)

Coach Hong Myung-bo

Hot take. The player to watch for South Korea won’t be Son Heung-min or Lee Kang-in, but The Monster, Kim Min-jae.

One thing to know that'll make you sound smart to your friends. "South Korea will play two of their three group stage matches at altitude in Guadalajara, Mexico."

Word from home. Korean legend and analyst Park Ji-sung said Korea needed second place in the group stage at worst and called them the class of the group:

"[Korea] can be seen as the strongest team in Group A," Park Ji-sung, Sports Hankook

The story. At home, this is being called Son Heung-min's 라스트 댄스 (last dance), and likely his fourth and final World Cup. At LAFC, Son has through the entire season without scoring, and Hong is still wrestling over how to use him.

Head vs. heart. Opta's supercomputer has Korea through the group about 70 percent of the time, second-likeliest in the group, but a title at roughly 1 percent.

One thing to read. Son Heung-min and the Challenge of South Korean Military Service, These Football Times (2016).

Czechia (Hrdí lvi, the Proud Lions)

Coach Miroslav Koubek

Hot take. Twenty years away, and Czechia is the one team in Group A nobody will enjoy drawing.

One thing to know that'll make you sound smart to your friends. "Miroslav Koubek, 74, will be one of the oldest managers at this year's World Cup, along with Curaçao's Dick Advocaat (78)."

Word from home. Back at a World Cup for the first time in 20 years, after surviving back-to-back penalty shootouts to get there, captain Ladislav Krejčí spoke for the country:

"The World Cup is my biggest dream, so it was unbelievable." Ladislav Krejčí, Deník

The story. Czechia came through on penalties twice, defeating both Ireland and Denmark. The team is built around striker Patrik Schick and Tomas Soucek, with intrigue over two newcomers, Alexandr Sojka and Hugo Sochůrek. Koubek called the final cuts the worst moment of his coaching career.

Head vs. heart. Opta's supercomputer gives Czechia about a 64 percent shot at the round of 32, and nobody tips them past it. At home, the expectation isn't that Czechia should just be happy to be there, but expect to compete.

One thing to read. Sparta vs. Slavia and the Czech Soul, BBC Sport (2021).

South Africa (Bafana Bafana)

Coach Hugo Broos

Hot take. South Africa doesn't get a win in this World Cup, but they snatch a draw.

One thing to know that'll make you sound smart to your friends. "Lyle Foster (Burnley) is South Africa's best player, but most of their team comes from two domestic clubs, the Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates."

Word from home. The mood at home is cautiously optimistic.

"the Round of 16 would be a successful tournament for Broos and his boys." Briefly News

The story. South Africa were docked points in qualifying for fielding a suspended player against Lesotho, and still topped the group ahead of Nigeria.

Head vs. heart. Opta's supercomputer gives Bafana about a 49 percent chance of advancing, the lowest in the group.

One thing to read. Rebel Spirit: Soccer and Politics in South Africa, TIME (2010).

Group A Fixtures to watch / predictions

Fixtures to watch.

• Thu, Jun 11: Mexico vs South Africa, 3:00 p.m. ET (FOX / Telemundo / Tubi)
• Thu, Jun 18: Mexico vs South Korea, 9:00 p.m. ET (FOX / Telemundo)
• Wed, Jun 24: Mexico vs Czechia, 9:00 p.m. ET (FOX / Telemundo)

The call.