Mexico and South Korea emerged victorious in the opening matches of World Cup 2026 Group A play. Mexico demonstrated a strong start, defeating South Africa 2-0 at the Estadio Azteca. In the same group, South Korea achieved an upset victory, overcoming a deficit to beat the Czech Republic 2-1. These results establish an early lead for Mexico and South Korea in the qualifying group. The matches mark the beginning of the competition for these four nations in the expanded 48-team tournament. The Czech Republic will seek to recover from their loss in upcoming games, while South Africa faces the challenge of rebounding after their defeat. These initial outcomes set the stage for a competitive battle for advancement from Group A.