Co-hosts Mexico became the first nation to secure a place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over South Korea in Guadalajara on Friday (GMT).
A second-half goal from Luis Romo proved decisive as Javier Aguirre’s side maintained their perfect start to the tournament and moved to the top of Group A with six points from two matches.
The contest lacked clear-cut chances in the opening half, with both teams struggling to create meaningful opportunities despite enjoying spells of possession. Mexico’s home supporters grew frustrated by the lack of attacking threat and voiced their disappointment at the halftime whistle after a largely uneventful opening 45 minutes.
South Korea enjoyed plenty of the ball and once again showed their confidence in possession. After recording 61 percent possession in their opening match against Czech Republic, they followed it up with another strong display on the ball, finishing with 58 percent possession against Mexico.
Despite South Korea’s control in midfield, Mexico remained solid defensively and extended an impressive record. El Tri have now gone 13 consecutive World Cup first halves without conceding a goal, a run stretching back to their 3-1 defeat against Argentina at the 2010 tournament.
The breakthrough finally arrived five minutes after the restart. A mix-up in the South Korean defence handed Mexico the lead in fortunate circumstances.
Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu spilled the ball after colliding with teammate Lee Gi-hyuk inside the penalty area. Luis Romo reacted quickest to the loose ball and calmly tapped into an empty net to send the home crowd into celebration.
The goal transformed the atmosphere inside the stadium and gave Mexico the momentum they had lacked during the first half.
South Korea responded positively and pushed forward in search of an equaliser. Earlier in the game, captain Son Heung-min had briefly threatened when he chipped goalkeeper Raul Rangel before Edson Alvarez cleared the ball off the line. However, the flag had already gone up for offside.
Mexico almost doubled their advantage in the 75th minute. Raul Jimenez found space from a tight angle and drove a shot towards goal, but Kim Seung-gyu produced a smart save to keep South Korea within touching distance.
Substitute Obed Vargas also came close to sealing the result late on. His powerful strike forced Kim into another excellent diving stop as South Korea continued to battle.
The visitors nearly snatched an equaliser in the closing stages. In the 87th minute, Cho Gue-sung met a cross with a close-range header, but Raul Rangel produced a crucial save. The rebound fell to Yang Hyun-jun, yet the Mexican goalkeeper reacted quickly again to deny him and preserve his clean sheet.
Rangel’s heroics ensured Mexico held on for a valuable victory and continued his remarkable start to life on the World Cup stage. He became only the second Mexican goalkeeper after Guillermo Ochoa in 2014 to keep clean sheets in his first two World Cup appearances.
The final whistle confirmed a significant achievement for Mexico. For the first time in their World Cup history, El Tri became the first team at the tournament to mathematically secure a place in the knockout rounds.
Mexico have now progressed from the group stage in eight of their last nine World Cup appearances, with their only failure during that period coming in Qatar in 2022.
The victory also leaves Aguirre’s men in a strong position to finish top of Group A. Avoiding defeat against Czech Republic in their final group match will guarantee first place and potentially provide a favourable route through the knockout rounds.
Should Mexico win the group, they will remain in Mexico City for both their Round of 32 match and a possible Round of 16 tie. That scenario could set up a meeting with England if Thomas Tuchel’s side also win their group and progress through the opening knockout round.
Despite the defeat, South Korea remain well placed to reach the knockout stage after winning their opening match against Czech Republic. Their qualification hopes will now rest on their final group fixture against South Africa in Monterrey.
For Mexico, however, the night belonged to Luis Romo and Raul Rangel. One provided the decisive goal, while the other delivered the crucial saves that secured a historic victory and confirmed El Tri’s place in the knockout phase of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
