World Cup 2026: Mexico grouped with South Korea, South Africa and playoff winner in favorable draw

The wait is finally over. After a supersized 2026 FIFA World Cup draw that pushed broadcast windows to the limits, we now know the official teams and groups for next summer's tournament. The global event will be hosted in North America by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and begins on June 11. 

All draw predictions are now a thing of the past, and all the hypotheticals are faded into dust now that the draw is complete. The three hosts have some level of pressure on them, especially the U.S. men's national team, as the instant reaction is that they lucked into a favorable draw. What does the path look like for Mexico moving forward? 

Let's break down Group A:

Mexico's World Cup opponents

 Group A

• Mexico
  
• South Korea
  
• South Africa
  
• The winner of FIFA playoffs: Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia, Ireland
  

So El Tri went ahead and found themselves in a puzzler of a group. Maybe they could be considered favorites in this one, but perhaps not.

Mexico, having the honor of being one of the hosts, means that they were already honored with a bit of luck, being placed at the top of Group A. As a host nation, they were spared facing many of football's giants in Brazil and Argentina, or European titans in France and Spain, as a reward. However, it also means that it leaves more question marks about their form and how it could look against teams that could be considered underdogs. It's definitely not the group of death, but it's also not quite a group of life. 

El Tri themselves in the group against South Korea, South Africa, and the eventual winner of the FIFA playoff winner D. The future winner means either Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia, or Ireland will join Group A for the 2026 World Cup. There are plenty of teams that will hold Mexico's hand down the tournament memory lane.

The order of the draw means Mexico will host South Africa on June 11 as the first game of the 2026 World Cup. It's a throwback to the 2010 World Cup opener, where the two sides ended in a 1-1 draw, but these are different teams from back then. South Africa will arrive confident, fresh off AFCON, with an impressive goalkeeper in Ronwen Williams. It could be a bit of a trap game for Mexico as the first match of a group stage is often the most nervy and often difficult for even the group favorites (just ask Argentina). 

Whoever ends up winning the European playoff, this group will be difficult for El Tri. They have often struggled to get wins against European teams, despite the historic 2018 win against Germany, and they lost 4-2 to Switzerland earlier this year. 

Denmark, Ireland, and Czechia will be steadfast in their approaches as they'll be the final matchday competition, and that's where things always get spicy. Each are three programs that are no strangers to World Cups, with Denmark in more recent tournaments, while North Macedonia would be World Cup debutants, and it's always the newcomers who have the most to prove. 

So who could be the team to rival Mexico for a spot out of Group A?

South Korea once again

If the home opener tests Mexico's tournament stomach, South Korea will be a battle of overall tactical quality. Not only did the two teams face each other to a 2-2 stalemate in September, but Mexico defeated South Korea 2-1 in the 2018 World Cup. 

The Taegeuk Warriors returned some of the favor in 2022 when they advanced to the knockouts from their respective group, while Mexico was eliminated in theirs. They are led by the iconic captain Son Heung-min, who now plays in the United States in MLS, and other European-based stars, including Kim Min-jae and Lee Kang-in.

They do not have to carry the burdens of home soil, and they might even have some home crowd favor, as Mexico is known for having a significant Korean population with several cultural hubs across Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. Anything can happen, but this matchday two head-to-head could very well determine the first-place winner of the group. 

What's next

Mexico will open the World Cup against South Africa on June 11, and five days later, face South Korea, before closing out the group stage against either Denmark, Ireland, Czechia, or North Macedonia. Ultimately, the draw was about as kind to Mexico as they could've hoped. Now they have to face the reality of their form. With six months in front of the World Cup, there is a path back toward the knockout rounds, a level they failed to reach in 2022.

However, the pressures of playing at home and a nation begging for the team to rekindle belief in the squad, combined with the threat of three other ambitious opponents, mean El Tri can only go as far as they will take themselves. They now know the streets of the group stage; next will be to take the first steps of the journey.