Mexico meet South Korea in Guadalajara with Group A control at stake

co-hosts playing South Korea in Group A

Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, bordering the United States of America to the north and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast, while having maritime boundaries with the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Caribbean Sea to the southeast, and the Gulf of Mexico to the east. Mexico covers 1,972,550 km2, and is the thirteenth-largest country in the world by land area.

Mexico's Group A opponent

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and the Sea of Japan to the east. South Korea claims to be the sole legitimate government of the entire peninsula and adjacent islands.

host city for the Group A game

Guadalajara is a city and municipality in Spain, located in the autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha. It is the capital of the Province of Guadalajara.

tournament in which Mexico meet South Korea

The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the 23rd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international men's soccer championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament began on June 11, 2026, and concluded on July 19 with Spain winning the championship for the second time. It was jointly hosted by 16 cities—11 in the United States, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada.

world football governing body that runs the World Cup and sets the schedule and regulations

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is an international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to oversee international competition among the national associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, its membership now comprises 211 national associations.

team Mexico beat 2-0 in their opening match

South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. Its nine provinces are bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres of coastline that stretches along the South Atlantic, and Indian Ocean; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe to the east and northeast by Mozambique, and Eswatini, and it encloses Lesotho.

team South Korea beat in their opening match

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The Czech Republic has a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,871 square kilometers (30,452 sq mi) with a mostly temperate continental and oceanic climate.

coach leading Mexico

Javier Aguirre Fernández est un réalisateur espagnol né le 13 juin 1935 à Saint-Sébastien et mort le 4 décembre 2019 à Madrid.

Belgium team that could enter the round-of-32 bracket if progressing from Group G

Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United or simply United, is a professional football club based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Manchester United are among the most successful football clubs in England, as well as one of the most successful football clubs in the world.

evening time zone context for the fixture

North America is a continent in the Northern and Western hemispheres. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean.

competition run by FIFA

The FIFA World Cup is an international association football competition among the senior men's national teams of the members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament has been held every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, with the exception of 1942 and 1946 during and shortly after World War II.

men's tournament staged in Canada, Mexico and the United States from 11 June to 19 July 2026

The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the 23rd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international men's soccer championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament began on June 11, 2026, and concluded on July 19 with Spain winning the championship for the second time. It was jointly hosted by 16 cities—11 in the United States, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada.

host country for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the second-largest country by total area, with the longest coastline of any country. Its border with the United States is the longest international land border. The country is characterized by a wide range of both meteorologic and geological regions.

host country for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous states border Canada to the north and Mexico to the south, with the semi-exclave of Alaska in the northwest and the archipelago of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.

alternate name for Estadio Guadalajara

Estadio Akron, formerly known as Estadio Omnilife and Estadio Chivas (Estadio Chivas, Spanish pronunciation: [esˈtaðjo ˈtʃiβas]), is a multipurpose stadium in Mexico, located in Zapopan, Jalisco, a suburb west of Guadalajara. Used mostly for football matches, it is the home of Liga MX side Guadalajara. The stadium is named for Grupo Akron, a Mexican lubricant and fuel company.

South Korea's most recognisable attacker

Son Heung-min is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC and captains the South Korea national team. Known for his speed, finishing, two-footedness, and ability to link play, he is the top Asian goalscorer in both Premier League and UEFA Champions League history, and is widely regarded as the greatest Asian player of all time.

league where Son Heung-min is a long-time star

The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football League (EFL). Seasons usually run from August to May, with each team playing 38 matches: two against each other team, one home and one away.

location of Mexico's 2018 win over South Korea

Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country in Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the largest country in the world, spanning eleven time zones and sharing land borders with fourteen countries. With a population of over 140 million, Russia is the most populous country in Europe and the ninth-most populous in the world. It is a highly urbanised country, with sixteen of its urban areas having more than 1 million inhabitants.

team Mexico lost to in the 2018 group

Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east, and shares a maritime border with Denmark to the south. At 450,295 square kilometres (173,860 sq mi) and with a population of 10.6 million, Sweden is the largest and most populous Nordic country, and is the fifth-largest country in Europe.