The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on 11 June at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City – and Group A promises to be one of the most competitive and unpredictable in the entire tournament. Here is a breakdown of all four sides.
Mexico
Co-hosts and automatic qualifiers, Mexico open the tournament at home against South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca – a stadium that becomes the first in history to host matches at three different World Cups.
El Tri have reached the quarter-finals at two previous home World Cups in 1970 and 1986 and carry enormous crowd support into every fixture. Their 18th World Cup appearance comes with the weight of expectation on home soil.
Players to watch: Hirving Lozano and Santiago Gimenez
South Africa
Bafana Bafana return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 – their first appearance on merit since 2002.
Hugo Broos has built a young, energetic squad dominated by Betway Premiership players, with third place at AFCON 2024 suggesting genuine progress.
They open against Mexico before facing Czech Republic in Atlanta and South Korea in Guadalupe.
Players to watch: Lyle Foster, Relebohile Mofokeng and Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
South Korea
The Taeguk Warriors are appearing at their 12th World Cup and remain one of Asia’s most consistent performers on the global stage.
Their finest hour came on home soil in 2002 when they reached the semi-finals. They qualified by winning their AFC third round group and arrive with technical quality throughout the squad.
Players to watch: Son Heung-min and Kim Min-jae.
Czech Republic
The Czechs qualified through the UEFA playoff pathway and are no strangers to the World Cup stage – though their best performances came as Czechoslovakia, finishing runners-up in 1934 and 1962.
A well-organised and defensively disciplined side, they will make life difficult for all three opponents in what is a tight group.
Key players: Tomas Soucek and Patrik Schick.
Mexico are the clear favourites to advance from Group A on home soil. The battle for the second automatic qualification spot – and potentially a third-place berth – between South Africa, South Korea and Czech Republic is where the real intrigue lies.
The fixtures
11 Jun: Mexico vs South Africa – Estadio Azteca, Mexico City – 22:00 SAST
12 Jun: South Korea vs Czech Republic – Estadio Akron, Guadalajara – 04:00 SAST
18 Jun: Czech Republic vs South Africa – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta – 18:00 SAST
19 Jun: Mexico vs South Korea – Estadio Akron, Guadalajara – 03:00 SAST
24 Jun: Czech Republic vs Mexico – Estadio Azteca, Mexico City – 03:00 SAST
24 Jun: South Africa vs South Korea – Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe – 03:00 SAST
Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
