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Mexico became the first nation to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup after edging past South Korea 1–0 in a tense encounter in Guadalajara on 19 June 2026.

Luis Romo netted the decisive goal early in the second half to guarantee the co-hosts a place in the last 32 of the tournament.

The opening half offered little excitement, as both teams struggled to create clear opportunities. Mexico managed only three attempts on target before the interval, and the scoreline remained goalless at halftime.

The deadlock was broken in the 50th minute when Romo capitalised on a mistake by South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung Gyu, who spilled the ball after colliding with defender Lee Gi Hyuk inside the penalty box. Romo reacted quickest, calmly placing the ball into the empty net.

Goalkeeper Raul Rangel ensured Mexico’s victory with an outstanding double save in the 87th minute. He first blocked a close-range header from Cho Gue Sung and then denied Yang Hyun Jun from the rebound to preserve the slender lead.

With the win, Mexico are assured of finishing top of Group A. The result means they will continue playing on home soil in the round of 32 and potentially in the round of 16 if they progress further.

South Korea will next face South Africa in their final group match on Wednesday, where a draw would likely be enough to secure their own passage to the knockout rounds.

Speaking to fifa.com after the match, Mexico coach Javier Aguirre acknowledged the tough contest. “It was difficult. We know them very well. They put us under a lot of pressure,” he said. “They didn’t give us any space, and neither did we. In the end, it felt like one mistake was always going to make the difference one way or the other. It wasn’t a great match, and the opposition didn’t allow us to do much.”

South Korea coach Hong Myung Bo reflected on the defeat, saying: “We played just as we planned. The way we conceded was disappointing. We will give everything in the last game of the group stage. I asked the players to remain calm and play our game. It wasn’t bad. We kept our composure throughout the game. We will focus on preparing for the next game now.”