Guadalajara, Mexico.
The Mexico National Team became the first team to mathematically ensure its classification to the round of 32 of the World Cup 2026 after beating South Korea 1-0 in an intense match played at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara.
The group led by Javier Aguirre He once again showed character and effectiveness to add his second consecutive victory in the group stage and confirm his presence in the next round of the tournament.
The match was marked by parity and tension during the 90 minutes. Both teams played a highly contested duel, with few defensive concessions and a constant fight for control of the ball in the midfield. However, when it seemed that the match was heading towards a goalless draw, an error appeared that ended up defining the fate of the match.
The only score of the night came thanks to the midfielder Luis Romo, who took advantage of an incredible mistake by the South Korean goalkeeper. The Asian goalkeeper could not properly control a ball inside his own area and left the ball open for the Mexican midfielder to arrive in time and send the ball into the back of the net. The ruling caused immediate frustration for the Korean players, who had played an orderly and competitive match up to that point.
After taking the advantage, Mexico tried to manage the result against a South Korea that advanced lines and desperately sought an equalizer. The Asians generated several dangerous approaches in the final stretch of the match, forcing the Aztec team to defend each ball with intensity.
With this victory, Mexico reached six points in the Group A thanks to their victories in the first two days of the contest. The combination of results in the bracket allowed them to secure their qualification to the round of 32 in advance, becoming the first team to achieve this in this edition of the World Cup held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
MINUTE BY MINUTE
CLASSIFICATION
In the Group A classification, South Korea occupies second position with three units and maintains its chances of advancing intact. For their part, the Czech Republic and South Africa add one point each and still have mathematical options to qualify for the next phase.
The last day promises strong emotions. Mexico will seek to close the group stage with a perfect pace when it faces the Czech Republic, while South Korea will stake a large part of its aspirations against South Africa in a duel that could define the second place in the bracket.
For now, the party is completely Mexican. In front of their people in Guadalajara, El Tri took a firm step towards their World Cup goals and became the first invitee to the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.
