Mexico and South Korea, who won their opening games, can stamp their ticket today to the unprecedented round of 32 of the 2026 soccer World Cup as the second round of the group stage officially kicks off.
The co-hosts, who won 2-0 against South Africa, and the South Koreans, who defeated the Czech Republic 2-1, face each other in Zapopan in the final match of the eighth day and the winner, if any, will be the first team qualified for the knockout phase.
The Mexican team, making its 18th appearance and ninth consecutive, seeks to advance past the group stage for the 10th time, a habit since 1994 that was broken in 2022 in Qatar, where the Aztec squad fell in the group stage.
For their part, the South Koreans, who are making their 12th tournament appearance, reached the knockout phase in 2002 on home soil, 2010, and 2022, on that last occasion under the guidance and leadership of Portuguese coach Paulo Bento.
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The match between Mexico and South Korea takes place in Zapopan starting at 19:00 local time (02:00 Thursday in Lisbon) and is the final fixture of the second matchday of Group A, which begins with the clash between the Czech Republic and South Africa in Atlanta at 13:00 (18:00).
In a group that can qualify up to three teams—given that the top two from each of the 12 groups and the eight best third-placed teams advance to the round of 32—the Czechs and South Africans will not be eliminated if they lose, but they will find themselves in a very complicated situation.
While Group A has two teams breaking away at the top, Group B remained completely level after the opening matchday following two identical 1-1 draws between Switzerland and Qatar, as well as between co-hosts Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the second round of fixtures, which will not guarantee qualification for any team, the first match starting at 12:00 (20:00) in Inglewood will be between the two European sides, followed at 15:00 (23:00) in Vancouver by the match between Canada and Qatar.
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The 2026 soccer World Cup began on June 11 and runs until July 19 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, bringing together an expanded format of national teams competing across North America for the ultimate trophy in global sports.
