Group A in the World Cup 2026 Preview

The Group A in the World Cup 2026 matches will start on June 11 and end on June 24. Group A will include host Mexico, as well as South Africa, South Korea and Czech Republic. Mexico is the main favorite in the group, while South Africa is given the lowest chances. Czech Republic, which is taking part for the first time since 2006, should battle with South Korea for second place.

Here you will find the full schedule, team overview and odds.

Mexico attracts the most attention in Group A, as it will not only play at home but is also the main favorite to win the group and potentially get an easier opponent in the Round of 32.

Mexico and South Korea played at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, while South Africa will play for the first time since 2010 and Czech Republic for the first time since 2006.

FIFA bookmaker odds to win the group or finish in the TOP 2:

A total of six matches will be played in the group, five of which will be played in Mexico. The Czech Republic vs South Africa match on June 18 will take place in Atlanta, US. Full Group A schedule:

There is a clear split between the teams in Group A of the World Cup. Mexico is considered the main favorite, while South Africa is the main World Cup underdog. Meanwhile, Czech Republic and South Korea should fight each other for second place, while also trying to beat Mexico.

Group favorite Mexico received its place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as one of the hosts, so it did not play in qualification. Since July 2025, Mexico has not played a single official match, while across 11 friendly matches it has won only three times. Mexico’s last official match was on July 7, 2025, in the Gold Cup, where it beat USA 2:1 in the final.

One of the reasons why Mexico is considered the group favorite is that it will play at home. There is no doubt that the atmosphere in all three matches will be impressive. The last time the FIFA World Cup was held in Mexico was in 1986, when the host reached the quarterfinals.

For South Africa, this will be the first World Cup since 2010, when it took part as the host. In total, South Africa has played in three world championships and ended its campaign in the group stage each time.

The same is expected this year, as South Africa is considered the main underdog in the group. If it manages to avoid three defeats, that would already be a good achievement for the national team.

Czech Republic will return to the FIFA World Cup after a 20-year break. The team reached the tournament through the additional qualification round, beating Republic of Ireland in the semifinal before defeating a solid Denmark side after penalties in the final.

The national team stands out for its physicality, and the players’ experience in Europe could be one of the main keys to victory. 30-year-old Patrick Schick is the main player in attack, but the squad also includes other high-level players.

South Korea continues to perform strongly in qualification and will play at the FIFA World Cup for the 12th time. The national team stands out for its strong tactical discipline and has players with international experience.

This is not a team that dominates matches, but by playing solidly in defense, it can wait for opponents’ mistakes and be ready to punish them.

The main rival in the group is Czech Republic, and it is likely that second place and direct qualification for the Round of 32 will be decided between them.

Still, it is also realistic that the team could reach the Round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams in the group. A win against South Africa and a draw against Czech Republic or Mexico would not be a surprising result.

FIFA World Cup A Group does not have a clear national team that is expected to reach at least the quarterfinals, but there will still be plenty of interesting and standout players.

In the Mexico team, a lot of attention is given to 17-year-old talent Gilberto Mora, but Raul Jimenez is considered the main figure in the national team. The 35-year-old Fulham forward has long-term experience playing for teams such as Atletico Madrid, Benfica and Wolverhampton.

South Africa cannot boast major talent, and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams is highlighted as the main player in the national team.

For Czech Republic, the main players are Tomas Soucek and Ladislav Krejci, both of whom play in England. Defender Ladislav Krejci scored in both decisive World Cup qualification matches. In attack, Patrik Schick and Pavel Sulc are the names to watch.

In the South Korea national team, the main players are those competing in Europe: Lee Kang-in, Hwang Hee-chan and Lee Jae-sun. However, the face of the national team is still considered to be 33-year-old Son Heung-min, who moved to play in MLS and has already scored 19 goals while representing Los Angeles FC.

Group A in the World Cup does not have a standout favorite. Although Mexico is predicted to finish first, it will be difficult for it to play against both Czech Republic and South Korea. There is a strong chance that the final positions in this group will be decided on the last day.

The similar level of the teams makes predictions much more difficult, so it is recommended to wait for the first official matches and look for value in the second and third games.

South Africa is the clearest underdog, and top online betting sites offer 2.00 odds on the national team finishing last. This looks like the best-value bet in this group.

The overall level of the group is not high, and FIFA World Cup Group A, together with Group B, is highlighted as one of the weakest. Although there are no standout national teams here such as Spain, France, Germany, Netherlands or England, there is no doubt that most matches will be intriguing.