Mexico became the first team to reach the 2026 World Cup knockout rounds, beating South Korea 1-0 in Guadalajara on 18 June through Luis Romo's 50th-minute volley after Kim Seung-gyu spilled a cross 1. Six points from two games put the co-hosts top of Group A. South Korea, who came from behind to beat Czechia in their opener , stay on three points with the group still live.
The match also closed a thread that had threatened to overshadow it. Mexican forces downed a surveillance drone over South Korea's closed training session before kickoff , but coach Hong Myung-bo confirmed the drone appeared before tactical drills began, limiting any espionage value, and the result moved the story on.
Topping Group A matters beyond the qualification itself. A group winner is seeded into the round of 32 against a third-placed qualifier rather than another group runner-up, so the points Mexico banked on 18 June also shape the bracket they enter. With the final round still to play, holding first place is now the prize that decides how kind their first knockout tie will be.
