world cup Comments 2026 World Cup Group A standings: Updated table after Mexico’s victory over South Korea By Gianni Taina Updated on June 18, 2026 Follow us on Google! © Getty Images Luis Romo #7 of Mexico celebrates with teammates after scoring. Matchday 2 of 2026 World Cup Group A has officially wrapped up, and co-hosts Mexico are moving on. Thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over South Korea , combined with a 1-1 stalemate between Czechia and South Africa earlier in the day, El Tri have mathematically secured their spot in the Round of 32. In what was an incredibly cagey and physical midfield battle, as Luis Romo found the breakthrough in the 50th minute. The defining moment came from a costly blunder by South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu , who fumbled a catch and dropped the ball right into the path of the Mexican midfielder, who tapped it into the back of the net for the lone goal of the match. The Taegeuk Warriors threw everything forward in the final stages hunting for an equalizer, and they nearly found it in stoppage time. Yang Hyun-jun connected with a header, but Mexican goalkeeper Raúl Rangel came up with a spectacular save to preserve the clean sheet and lock down the massive win. With a perfect six points , Mexico are safely through to the Round of 32, while South Korea remain in a strong position to advance, sitting comfortably in second place with 3 points. Group A standings. Meanwhile, the tournament outlook has grown far more complicated for Czechia and South Africa. Following their 1-1 draw at Atlanta Stadium, both nations remain stuck at the bottom of Group A with just a single point each heading into the final matchday. Advertisement Advertisement see also List of World Cup winners by year: Every champion since 1930 The road ahead of Group A Mexico heading into Matchday 3 against Czechia at the historic Estadio Azteca on Wednesday, June 24 , means they only need a single point to officially lock down the top seed out of Group A. With qualification already comfortably secured, manager Javier Aguirre will likely utilize the opportunity to rotate his starting eleven and protect key players currently carrying minor knocks. For South Korea , their path remain fully alive but entirely clear of any safety margins. In a high-stakes scenario, they will square off against South Africa at the exact same time as the other group finale . Advertisement Advertisement A victory directly guarantees the Taegeuk Warriors passage to the next round, whereas a draw would force them to spend a nervous 90 minutes keeping a close eye on the tiebreaking math unfolding between Mexico and Czechia. 200+ Channels & Local Sports Price: Plans starting at $14.99/mo (Latino) Watch Ligue 1, Copa Libertadores & World Cup Qualifiers Browse Offers Every MLS Match in One Place Price: $12.99/mo (Now included with standard subscription) Watch every MLS regular season game, Playoffs & Leagues Cup Browse Offers Many Sports & ESPN Originals Price: $11.99/mo (or ESPN Unlimited for $29.99/mo) Features LaLiga, Bundesliga, FA Cup & NWSL Browse Offers 2,000+ Soccer Games Per Year Price: Starting at $8.99/mo Features Champions League, Serie A & Europa League Browse Offers Home of the Premier League Price: Starting at $10.99/mo 175+ Exclusive EPL matches per season Browse Offers Mexico south korea