Staff writer Guy de Basto analyses Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup ahead of the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on 11 June.
Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup promises to be one of the more intriguing groups in the tournament. Four nations from four different corners of the football world — co-hosts Mexico, South Africa, South Korea and Czechia — will go head-to-head for a place in the knockout rounds carrying contrasting styles, histories and ambitions.
To many, it is a group without an obvious superpower, which only makes it all the more compelling. Mexico carry the weight of expectation as hosts, but none of the other three sides are there purely to make up the numbers. South Korea are no strangers to the tournament’s big moments, South Africa will be feeding off widespread support from the African continent and Czechia will arrive as a disciplined, experienced European outfit.
With progression very much up for grabs in this group, Group A could well be one of the most competitive and unpredictable of the entire tournament.
Czechia: The Very, Very, Very Long Road Back
Czechia arrive at the 2026 World Cup as the group’s great unknowns — easy to overlook, but dangerous to underestimate. This is their first appearance as an independent nation since 2006, making it a redemption arc two decades in the making.
Yet the broader tradition runs deeper: as Czechoslovakia twice reached the World Cup final, in 1934 and 1962, finishing runners-up on both occasions. They qualified the hard way too, surviving two penalty shootouts in the play-offs — a nervy route that sums up a team that finds a way to get the job done without ever doing it easily.
The Koubek Blueprint
Under 74-year-old Miroslav Koubek — the second-oldest manager at the tournament — Czechia operate in a 3-4-2-1 that quickly becomes a 5-4-1 without the ball. Koubek has a long managerial history, with the 2024 Manager of the Year in the Czech League as a reminder of his class. It is not pretty, but in a group where margins are tight, defensive solidity could prove infinitely more valuable than flair.
The Ones to Watch
Patrik Schick is the danger man. 16 Bundesliga goals from just 28 starts — including a stunning hat-trick against RB Leipzig — show his scoring touch is razor-sharp. Alongside his 26 international goals, he is already part of Czech folklore. Behind him, Tomáš Souček brings Premier League experience and is an underappreciated aerial menace opponents tend to ignore.
18-year-old Hugo Sochůrek is someone to keep an eye on as well. The Sparta Prague midfielder is one of the youngest players at the entire tournament. If Koubek decides to substitute him on, the World Cup could be his oyster.
No Stars, No Problem
Ten out of the twenty-six-man squad are drawn from Slavia Prague, giving the side a tight-knit cohesion that could prove invaluable on the biggest stage. This is a squad that knows exactly what it is — and at a World Cup, that clarity can take you a long way.
Predicted finish: Third Defensively disciplined enough to grind out results, but unlikely to have enough firepower to top the group.
Mexico: The Curse They’re Desperate to Break
No team carries more pressure into this World Cup than Mexico. ‘El Tri’ lost in the last 16 in seven consecutive World Cups from 1994 to 2018 — a hoodoo so deeply felt at home that Mexicans gave it a name: the ‘Curse of El Quinto Partido’, meaning the Fifth Game. Now, playing on home soil for a record third time, breaking it feels less like ambition and more like a national obligation.
The Aguirre Blueprint
Javier Aguirre, in his third spell in charge, guided Mexico to both the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup titles, arriving at this tournament with real momentum. Nicknamed El Vasco, owing to his Basque heritage, Aguirre has reminded his players that home advantage is a fleeting privilege. Tactically, expect a fluid setup that shifts between a 4-4-2 and a 4-3-3, built around midfield solidity and pace out wide to hurt teams on the counter.
The Ones to Watch
All eyes will be on Raúl Jiménez — the 34-year-old arrives at his home World Cup after a strong season with Fulham, scoring 9 goals and providing 3 assists in the Premier League.
Behind him, captain Edson Álvarez is the heartbeat of the midfield, sitting in the pivot, while 17-year-old Gilberto Mora is one of Mexico’s main sources of hope — a teenage talent more than ready to announce himself on the biggest stage imaginable.
And then there is Guillermo Ochoa, who will become only the third player in history, alongside Messi and Ronaldo, to appear at six World Cups. At 40, it is likely his farewell tour (but you never know).
Now or Never
The squad, the coach and the home crowd are all aligned in a way they rarely have been before. Mexico seem to have every ingredient for a historic run. Whether they finally have the belief to match it remains the only question left to answer.
Predicted finish: First Home advantage, tournament pedigree and arguably the most complete squad in the group. The curse finally ends here.
South Africa: Africa’s Prodigal Son Returns
This will be South Africa’s fourth World Cup appearance, having featured in 1998, 2002 and 2010, with ‘Bafana Bafana’ never advancing past the group stage. But there is a different feeling around the squad this time. Having topped their qualifying group ahead of Nigeria in one of Africa’s tightest battles, they arrive with genuine belief rather than just hope combined with the weight of a continent cheering them on.
The Broos-print
Coach Hugo Broos has built his philosophy around defensive organisation, rapid transition and the freedom for creative players to express themselves in the final third. It is a system that suits this squad perfectly — domestically grounded, tightly knit and drilled to the bone.
Nineteen of the 26 players are based in the South African league, which, far from being a weakness, gives the side a cohesion that many more star-studded nations would envy.
The Ones to Watch
Goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams is the heartbeat of Bafana Bafana — calm, analytical and the holder of an Africa Cup of Nations record for penalty saves that may never be beaten. Up front, Burnley striker Lyle Foster will lead the line as the one genuine European-based attacking threat.
But the name on everyone’s lips is 21-year-old Relebohile Mofokeng. The Orlando Pirates livewire has firmly outgrown the ‘one for the future’ tag after a breakout domestic season, notching ten goals and helping drive the Buccaneers to a Premier Soccer League title triumph.
Broos himself has urged caution, warning that too much pressure on his young shoulders could be damaging, which is perhaps the surest sign that he is the real deal.
Nothing to Lose, Absolutely Everything to Gain
On paper, South Africa is the underdog of this group. In practice, that might be exactly what makes them dangerous. The important thing to remember is that you never know with the World Cup.
Predicted finish: Fourth The most likeable underdogs in the group, but the gulf in individual quality compared to Mexico and South Korea is hard to ignore.
South Korea: Can They Write Another Chapter?
South Korea is Asia’s most successful team at the FIFA World Cup, marking their 12th overall appearance — four more than their closest continental rival, Japan. Their peak remains the stuff of legend: in 2002, on home soil, they stunned the world by reaching the semi-finals and finishing fourth. They have not come close to matching it since, though they did progress to the round of 16 in Qatar in 2022 and arrive in North America with arguably their strongest squad in years.
The Hong Blueprint
Coach Hong Myung-bo is preparing to lead the country into a second World Cup as head coach — a veteran of four World Cups as a player himself, who returned to the bench in 2024 after his first stint ended in a group-stage exit in Brazil. His selection and tactical choices have drawn criticism domestically, with many fans questioning his consistency.
Yet the results speak for themselves — South Korea qualified unbeaten through the third round of the World Cup qualification’s Asian section, winning six and drawing four of their ten matches.
The Ones to Watch
This is Son Heung-min’s stage. At 33 and now at Los Angeles FC, this is widely expected to be his final World Cup — but he does not look like a player running down the clock, recording four assists in a single Major League Soccer half in April 2026.
Behind him, Kim Min-jae is a fantastic ball playing centre back who helps anchor the defence at Bayern Munich, Lee Kang-in’s vision and ‘la pausa’ ability will provide a large asset as he does at Paris Saint-Germain and Hwang Hee-chan adds Premier League threat from Wolverhampton — proving it the most European-seasoned Korean squad ever assembled.
One Last Dance With Son
South Korea’s ceiling in this group is high, built on a squad with a far more European pedigree than any of their predecessors. Whether Hong Myung-bo’s selection and tactics can match that talent will determine how far this team ultimately travels.
Predicted finish: Second Son and the most European-seasoned Korean squad ever assembled should be enough to edge out the chasing pack.
Conclusion:
Some might say Group A might lack a true heavyweight. That’s exactly what makes it one to watch. Mexico carry the weight of history and home advantage, South Korea have the most talented squad they’ve ever taken to a World Cup, Czechia bring a stubbornness that could trouble anyone and South Africa arrive with nothing to lose and a continent behind them.
Two spots in the round of 16 are guaranteed to be up for grabs. On current form, all four sides could realistically claim one. Don’t be surprised if this is the group that produces the tournament’s first major shock.
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