The Mexico national team is enjoying a dream start to the 2026 World Cup, producing two victories from its first two games to win group A with a match to spare.
El Tri dominated South Africa in the opening game of the 2026 World Cup, cruising to a 2–0 win. The level of difficulty significantly increased for its second match, but Javier Aguirre’s men delivered, thanks to an opportunistic Luis Romo goal and a monumental double-save from Raúl Rangel, defeating a solid South Korea side 1–0. It marked one of the most important wins in Mexico’s recent World Cup history, far from spectacular, but enormously valuable.
With South Africa and Czechia drawing 1–1 earlier in the day, the win against South Korea has guaranteed Mexico will finish as the top team in group A. South Korea could match Mexico’s total of six points in the final game of the group stage, should it defeat South Africa on Wednesday. But nevertheless, El Tri would still stay at the summit due to the fact that head-to-head record is the first tiebreaker in the tournament.
Aguirre will be able to rotate his side heavily in the final group stage match against Czechia, all while El Tri begins to look at what lies ahead.
What The 2026 World Cup Knockout Stage Holds For Mexico
Mexico’s mission of topping group A is complete, and the reward is major. El Tri will remain on Mexican soil and play its round of 32 match at its Mexico City fortress, the Estadio Azteca, on Tuesday, June 30.
Aguirre’s side will face one of the best third-place finishers from either group C, E, F, H or I. As things stand, the possible foes would be Brazil, Ecuador, Netherlands, Spain or Senegal. These aren’t particularly appealing potential rivals, but all of these teams have yet to play two more group stage games. Plenty of movement is expected.
According to Opta's supercomputer odds, the favorites to finish third in those groups currently are: Scotland, Ecuador, Japan, Cape Verde and Senegal. In Opta’s knockout stage bracket prediction, a bout against Senegal is the most likely matchup.
Senegal would represent a far from easy challenge for El Tri, but on home soil, in altitude and at its Mexico city fortress, the stage couldn’t be more tilted in favor of Aguirre’s side.
Where Mexico Will Play in 2026 World Cup Knockout Rounds
| Round | Location | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | Mexico City | Estadio Azteca |
| Round of 16 | Mexico City | Estadio Azteca |
| Quarterfinal | Miami Gardens, Fla. | Hard Rock Stadium |
| Semifinal | Atlanta, Ga. | Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
| Final | East Rutherford, N.J. | MetLife Stadium |
If Mexico emerge triumphant from its round of 32 matchup, it’ll get to play yet another game at the Azteca, this time in the round of 16.
