FIFA World Cup 2026 has played just two matches, yet Group A is already operating with ruthless tournament logic: two wins, two winners on 3 points each, and two sides already counting their survival options. While the rest of the groups have yet to kick off, it is Group A's quartet that is setting the tone for the entire tournament.
Group A: Mexico and Korea share the summit
The World Cup opener at the Azteca ended in a commanding victory for the hosts: Mexico beat South Africa 2–0 in a match remembered for three red cards — two of them shown to South Africa. That gave the Mexicans a goal difference of +2 and first place on that tiebreaker.
Early on the morning of June 12 (05:00 Kyiv time) in Guadalajara, South Korea staged a comeback against the Czech Republic. The Czechs opened the scoring on the 58th minute through Ladislav Krejčí, but Hwang In-beom levelled on the 66th minute after a pass from Kang In Lee. The decisive goal on the 80th minute was scored by substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu, who converted a low cross from Hwang. Tomáš Souček's chance to equalise was ruled out for offside, and goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu saved a late effort from Hložek. Final score — 2–1, three points for Korea.
Current Group A standings after Matchday 1:
- Mexico — 3 points, goal difference +2
- South Korea — 3 points, goal difference +1
- Czech Republic — 0 points, goal difference −1
- South Africa — 0 points, goal difference −2
Korea controlled 62% of possession and completed 464 passes compared to 242 for the Czechs — figures that point to a systematic advantage rather than a lucky result. Son Heung-min had six shots without scoring, yet the team won without his goals, which speaks to the depth of the squad.
Groups B and D: tonight's matches determine the first leaders
Tonight at 22:00 Kyiv time in Toronto, Canada face Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B). The hosts are favourites: bookmakers price their win at 1.85 against 4.75 for a Bosnian victory. For Canada, this is a home match in every sense, and a defeat would be a serious psychological blow ahead of their fixtures against Qatar and Switzerland.
At 04:00 Kyiv time (the night of June 13) in Los Angeles, the USA face Paraguay (Group D). The Americans, like Canada, are tournament hosts and carry heightened expectations. Paraguay are a stubborn opponent with a compact defence, capable of making life difficult for any favourite in the opening round.
Scenarios
Scenario 1. Korea — the new dark horse of Group A. If Mexico fail to beat Korea in Matchday 2 (June 19), the Asian side could top the group. Given that head-to-head results are the tiebreaker between teams level on points, the Mexico–Korea match effectively becomes the Group A final before Matchday 3 even arrives.
Scenario 2. Czech Republic and South Africa — a survival battle from Matchday 2. Both sides have 0 points and will meet each other on June 18. The winner will have a chance at third place with a potential path to the Round of 32 — but only if they can recover their goal difference. A draw would effectively eliminate both from contention for a best third-place spot.
Scenario 3. Canada opens their account in Group B. A win over Bosnia tonight would allow Canada to face the Qatar–Switzerland match (June 13, 22:00) already sitting at the top of the group. A draw or defeat, and Group B opens up to any outcome.
The race for the best third-place spots
After Matchday 1, only two sides in Group A have 0 points — the Czech Republic and South Africa. The best third-place ranking is determined by points, then goal difference, goals scored, fair play record, and FIFA ranking. It is already clear that teams who lose their opening match by a large margin put themselves in an extremely difficult position — even six points from the remaining games may not be enough to overcome a goal difference deficit.
Tonight is the first real test for the host nations: Canada and the USA must confirm their status as group favourites. Tomorrow night — Brazil face Morocco (01:00) and Haiti face Scotland (04:00) in Group C: the first major test for the five-time champions and the first appearance of an African underdog at this World Cup.
