Mexico Become First Team to Reach FIFA World Cup 2026 Knockouts

Hosts Mexico are enjoying an impressive campaign at the FIFA World Cup 2026. In a Group A league match on Thursday, Mexico defeated South Korea 1-0 to register a crucial victory. With this win, Mexico became the first team to officially qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament.After suffering a group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup, Mexico have bounced back strongly on home soil, recording their second consecutive victory and delighting their fans.

Although the match was closely contested, a defensive mix-up by South Korea proved costly. In the 50th minute, South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu and defender Lee Gi-hyeok collided while attempting to deal with the ball, allowing it to slip loose. Mexico's Luis Romo was perfectly positioned to capitalize on the mistake and calmly slotted the ball into the net, giving his side a 1-0 lead.

South Korea came close to equalizing late in the game. In the 87th minute, star forward Cho Gue-sung's header and the ensuing rebound were brilliantly saved by Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel, whose spectacular diving stops ensured his team's victory.Mexico now sit atop Group A with six points. In the other Group A fixture, the Czech Republic and South Africa played out a 1-1 draw.Meanwhile, hosts Canada opened their account in style. Playing in Group B, Canada registered a dominant 6-0 victory over Qatar.